The Three Spheres of Chaos
by MercenaryGrax
Summary: During his training trip with Jiraiya, Naruto lost control of himself and inflicted a wound upon Jiraiya that left a terrible scar. What if, at that moment in time, Naruto created rifts in space/time that brought a little something different to the world of Naruto? Multi-crossover. Naruto x Harem
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 – The Spheres of Chaos Come Together!**

It was over. Everything the Gullwings girls had fought for, everything they had done together, it had all finally come to an end. The peoples of Spira were united, Tidus was returned to Yuna, and everything just seemed so perfect. All except for one young woman with bright green eyes and long, braided, blond hair.

This young woman was currently wandering the ruins of the ancient Baaj Temple. This location was once home to the giant water beast known as Geosgaeno, home to her close friend Lulu's Celestial Weapon, the Onion Knight, where Yuna learned to summon the mighty Aeon known as Anima, amongst other things. However, to Rikku this would always be a memorable place for another reason entirely.

Out of everything that had happened here and all that this place signified, there was one event above all things that could have happened here that meant the most to her. As she stood in this large, circular room with debris scattered everywhere, she found herself glancing down at a long abandoned campfire sitting in the middle of the room. This was the room where she first met 'Him'.

Who is 'Him', you may ask? Why, the young man known as Tidus. Rikku knew she was the first person that young man had met in this strange, yet wonderful world of Spira. She liked to think that they had become good friends in the short time they had known each other before Sin attacked the Al Bhed ship and Tidus was thrown overboard.

Thinking back on it now, Rikku couldn't help but hug herself tight and let a few tears drop down from her cheeks and land with a light 'splash!' on the cold floor beneath her. _If that hadn't have happened and he hadn't have met Yuna before we were reunited that time at the Moonflow… If Tidus had been with me all that time, would it be me that would have been held in his arms upon his return?_

Rikku sat herself down on a small slab of wood before the dead campfire and stared solemnly at it. Although she wanted to be mad at Yuna for taking the one she loves from her like this, she just couldn't find it in herself to do so. The Al Bhed woman loved her Yunie dearly and was happy for her. But…this happiness came at the cost of her own. Still… "Why couldn't I have just once come out and told them both how I feel? At least then I could say I at least came out and said it. Right now…I really don't think I have anyone to blame but myself."

There it was. Self-doubt and self-deprecation had just been waiting to eat away at her ever since she first missed her chance to say anything to Tidus back when they were still trying to find a way to stop Sin together without anymore summoners having to die. As she sat there, negative thoughts continuing to pervade her mind, the young woman never once noticed a strange spatial anomaly occurring just inches away from her.

After hiccupping and sobbing for a few moments longer, Rikku finally heard a strange humming noise coming from her right side. Glancing over slowly, fearing that a Fiend had somehow found her in her moment of weakness, the green-eyed thief found herself feeling both shocked and horrified. This…this wormhole had opened up without her noticing and it was now trying to drag her into it!

Quickly wiping away her tears, Rikku turned tail and tried to run from this strange spatial anomaly, only to find that she couldn't get any traction. Glancing down, the young Al Bhed woman quickly found out why that was. Rikku…was no longer on the ground.

Releasing a high pitched scream, Rikku flailed her arms about wildly as she was sucked into the vortex and flung about through space and time to destinations unknown to her at this time. The only thing she could think of before her vision began to grow dark was, _This is really going to suck!_

 _ **In another world – Moon that Never Sets**_

They had actually done it. Despite everything and how difficult the journey had been up until this point, the group of seven Dragoons had managed to make it through the Wingly cities and onto the Moon That Never Sets. However, it was there that things actually got a little crazy. Well, _crazier_.

Once on the Moon, virtually everyone had split off from the group at one point and ended up fighting what was no doubt a difficult battle for them. First it had been Miranda who had to face off against something called Death Rose. Now, Meru wasn't sure exactly what transpired in this battle, nor in the other ones, but Miranda seemed a little different after that encounter. In fact, everybody did after having their, what she referred to them as, 'personal' battles.

As they pushed on, they came across Haschel's daughter, Claire. Again, she had no idea what exactly happened, but she had to assume that Haschel was forced to fight his own daughter. After that, the group had been separated by Rose's old Vassal Dragon, Michael. Meru had ended up in a group with Albert, Kongol, Haschel, and Miranda; Dart and Rose had ended up in another area all by themselves.

While she had no Earthly idea what those two had been up to or what happened to them, Meru had to watch as Kongol went off to fight his battle. After the group had reunited with Dart and Rose, it was a short while later that Albert had to go fight his own battle. All-in-all, it had been a rather eventful time on the Moon That Never Sets.

Then, finally…it was her turn. Meru, the lone Wingly of the group and the holder of the Blue-Sea Dragoon Sphere, was forced into a 'personal' battle of her own. They had stumbled across the Wingly palace of all things and, right as Meru stepped onto a bridge of light particles, it disappeared from under her. As a natural reaction, she used her wings to float and avoid the plunge. It was at this point that she disappeared and reappeared before a being known as the Archangel.

The battle had been hard fought, and the damnable Archangel had insisted on insulting Humans, namely those that the Wingly Meru had been travelling with thus far, enraging the kindhearted lass. However, in the end, Meru had emerged victorious from the fight and smiled as her friends approached her, seemingly worried about her condition after her sudden disappearance.

However, when their concern suddenly shifted to that of fright and they shouted at her to get away from something, Meru turned around and looked at a strange, swirling vortex in the air mere inches from her. Eyes widening in fright, Meru tried to take a few steps back, but she found that her body was being pulled ever closer to the strange anomaly.

Turning her gaze back towards her friends, Meru ended up smiling apologetically at them and chuckled weakly. "S-Sorry guys. I guess you're going to have to finish this without me. I know you can do it. I love you guys…" And with tears streaming down her face at being taken from them like this, Meru felt her consciousness slip from her quickly as she was sucked through into the strange wormhole and entered a time/space vortex that soon began dragging her to an unknown destination.

 _ **Somewhere in the Elemental Nations**_

A large man with a horned hitai-ate (forehead protector) on his head with the kanji for oil, long, wild white hair that extended quite a ways down his back, wearing geta sandals, a red haori over a green kimono shirt and matching pants, which further covered a suit of mesh armor, stood across from a hulking red beast. Currently, this man was clutching at an x-shaped wound on his chest that was bleeding profusely. The wound, _thankfully_ , wasn't deep enough to be fatal, but it was painful enough and inflicted by something dangerous enough that, if not tended to soon, could cause complications down the road if not taken care of soon.

However, before this man, a wandering Sannin named Jiraiya, could worry about that, he needed to first deal with the beast across from him. However, this wasn't just any beast. Oh no, this beast was, in fact, his godson, the Kyuubi Jinchuriki: Naruto Uzumaki. At the moment, he had gone into his four-tailed Kyuubi cloak and had lost control, hence the wound in his chest and the out-of-control state he was currently in. The destruction around them was just a side effect really.

Wincing in pain once again as his vision blurred slightly for just a moment, the Toad Sage shook it off and focused on the task at hand: saving his godson. Jiraiya would be damned before he lost his precious person to that wretched beast inside of him like this!

Glancing down into his hand, Jiraiya made sure his sealing tags were prepared correctly. If he didn't have everything just right, this wouldn't work. The first set of tags, if he could position them right, would ensnare the Kyuubified Jinchuriki and keep him still, while the final tag, a souped-up version of the regular sealing variant of this particular seal, would force the Kyuubi's chakra back into the seal right where it belongs.

Taking a deep intake of breath, Jiraiya quickly dodged to the right, away from one of the tails and rolled along the ground before dashing forwards, occasionally leaping over, dashing to the side, rolling along the ground, or just ducking under an attack from the Kyuubified Jinchuriki as needed. At times he would need to use a Substitution to replace himself with something else to reposition himself elsewhere to escape an attack, but eventually he managed to get the first four sealing tags into position on the ground.

As soon as the final sealing tag was in position, Jiraiya quickly molded the correct amount of chakra into his hands, shouted " **Seal!** " and slammed his hands down onto the sealing tag. Quickly lines spread out, forming a larger seal along the ground underneath the Jinchuriki's feet before sparks began shooting up out of the ground. Eventually the beast collapsed and began writhing against an invisible force as it struggled to move.

Before it could get up, Jiraiya pushed his body forward, rushing as fast as he could and slammed the final sealing tag against its forehead, ignoring the burning feeling in his hand as he shouted out another " **Seal** " and watched as the chakra began to recede back into his godson's body. However, as this happened, Jiraiya found himself wincing in sympathy for what he saw.

Naruto's body looked terrible. It appeared as if most of his skin had simply melted off. It was severely reddened and looked as if he would take some time to recover. Sure, he'd likely be recovered in a matter of days knowing him, and in about a week or two he'd likely be begging for training again, but until then?

Shaking his head, the Sannin collapsed onto his butt next to his godson and began to tend to his own wounds, namely the one on his chest, to the best of his ability. The most important thing to do was to tend to the taint of the bijuu's chakra before it could harm him anymore than it already had. Then he could use what medical knowledge he had after that to heal himself and his godson as best he could.

It was as he was doing this that the white-haired man pondered on what he felt earlier as he was contending with the Kyuubified Jinchuriki. Something else had happened with Naruto upon reaching the fourth tail. Jiraiya wasn't sure what it was exactly, but it was _different_. He also sensed something shifting in the air throughout the battle shortly after he received his wound, but he put it into the back of his mind so he could focus on saving his godson.

However, now that he had the time to think on it, he couldn't help but wonder what all of that was exactly. Of course, Jiraiya ended up being disturbed from his thoughts the very moment two loud THUD sounds erupted from behind him, startling him from his thoughts. Glancing behind him, Jiraiya's eyes widened upon seeing two strange, swirling portals, along with two scantily clad women lying on the ground, groaning as they slowly started coming to.

As he finished tending to his godson's wounds, Jiraiya watched as the portals closed before rising to his feet and carefully preparing a jutsu, just in case these two proved to be enemies. Scantily clad babes they may be, and oh Kami the things and chapters he could write using these two as inspiration!, Jiraiya was currently more focused on protecting his godson rather than perving out on these women.

Slowly, the platinum-haired woman rose first, very quickly followed by the blond-haired youth. Once on their feet, the two young ladies looked around for a moment before their eyes settled on the taller person in front of them who was clearly looking at the two of them with suspicion. At the same exact time, the duo asked the exact same question: "Where am I?"

Glancing at each other, the girls again asked the same question: "Wait, you too?" Meru quickly shook her head and held up a hand before glancing between the girl before her and the taller male. Closing her eyes, she focused her senses and tried to pinpoint the source of whatever it was she felt earlier. If she could determine that, perhaps she could get some answers.

It didn't take long for Meru to feel a tiny spark from a short distance away. Opening her eyes, Meru gently moved the blond woman out of her way so she could see what was behind her. There, lying upon the ground, was a blond, young man that looked to be severely injured. Judging by his appearance, he had his wounds tended to just recently. Glancing at the white-haired male, Meru bowed her head to him momentarily and decided he was the one to direct their questions to for the time being.

"Sir, my name is Meru. I'm sure you have many questions for myself and whoever this girl next to me is, I can safely tell you that we are not from this world. I highly doubt we are even from this dimension, in fact." Hearing the gasp from the girl next to her, the Wingly quickly directed a pitying glance towards her and nodded her head, sadly, in the affirmative before redirecting her gaze to the Sannin.

"I assume something happened here with your companion that awakened his magic? Whatever happened, a portal appeared in my world that was strong enough to ensnare me and drag me into it despite my struggles to escape its pull. My friends and I were in the process of trying to save our world from a great evil, but because of this, I will now have to leave the fate of my world in their hands. I do not think that I will be able to return in time to help them. So all I can do is place my faith in them now."

Releasing a heavy sigh, the Wingly closed her eyes and shook her head before walking over and kneeling down beside the boy, gently brushing her fingers through his hair. "If you would permit it, I would travel with you and your companion. I have nowhere else to go, and it would honestly be pointless to return to my world now. I will miss my friends, but all things considered, there really wouldn't be much to return to. I left my home, and all I really had after that was my friends. There was no way I could possibly return to my home after leaving the way I did, and I'm not sure if my friends and I would've stuck together either after everything was said and done. Albert had his kingdom to get back to, I'm not sure what Haschel would've done, Dart and Shana? I don't really know. Miranda would've probably gone back to the other Sisters." Sighing again, Meru reached up and rubbed the bridge of her nose before closing her eyes and lowering her head a bit. "The point is, it really, truly might be better for me this way."

Hearing this, Jiraiya found himself frowning as he lowered his arms and turned his gaze to the other young woman. Sighing softly, he waved a hand at her. "Alright, I've heard her story, or at least part of it. Why don't you tell me what happened with you and I'll decide if I can trust you around my student first and foremost. After that, we'll figure out what we should do from here. Alright?"

Rikku nodded and grinned up at the big man. "Yeppers! I…kiiinda don't want to go into too much personal stuff right now. Yunie, Paine and I had just saved everybody from ANOTHER threat to Spira, that's the world I come from, but things kinda didn't work out for me in the end." Poking her index fingers together nervously, Rikku stared down at the ground and frowned sadly. "I was on my own when the portal opened up and sucked me in. Then I was here! I have people that I love back home on Spira…but at the same time…"

Looking into Jiraiya's eyes, the young Al Bhed woman smiled sadly and shrugged her shoulders as tears welled up in her beautiful, green eyes. "I just can't will myself to want to go back there, y'know? Maybe this is my chance to find my own happiness or something. Look to the future and all that rather than live in the past and those 'could have been' situations. That's just not who I am. I'm Rikku! I'm supposed to be all cheery and peppy! I'm the life of the party!"

Jiraiya smiled sadly at the younger beauty before him and gently patted her on the head. "Don't. If you need to let yourself feel your losses for a while, then do so. You're mourning a lost love of some kind, aren't you? It's not hard for someone like me to tell. After all, I'm still in love with someone who will never quite feel the same way about me." With a mirthless chuckle and a careless shrug of his shoulders, Jiraiya turned his gaze to his godson. "Come sit with me."

Walking over to Naruto, Rikku and Meru sat around him and Jiraiya found himself staring at the young boy in puzzlement for a time before looking at Meru. "You mentioned this 'magic'. I'm not sure what that is, but we use something called chakra, which is the embodiment of our physical and spiritual energies merged into one inside ourselves. We harness that and use it to great effects to do a great many things. I'm afraid I'm not aware of what your 'magic' is."

Rikku found herself staring at Meru and shrugging her shoulders. "If it's anything like the magic from my world, I think I know what she's talking about. The use of mana, or spiritual energy, to perform magical arts that can do a lot of different things. Restorative magic, attack magic, enhancement magic, debuff magic, there's a LOT of nifty types of magic. Is it like that with your world too Meru?"

Meru smiled a little and nodded her head. "In a sense, yes. However, I'm pretty sure that magic differs between our worlds Rikku. In my world, there are beings known as Dragoons, Winglies, Dragons, Gigantos, and a great many more. I am what is known as a Wingly, but I am also a Dragoon. As a result of this, not only can I harness the power of Wingly magic, but I can transform into a Dragoon and utilize the magic of the Blue-Sea Dragoon and its Water magic. On top of that, I can also summon forth and control my very own Dragon. That is my magic. However, transforming into a Dragoon is **very** difficult without actually being in a battle. If not for that, I would do so and use my magic to heal your companion here, Jiraiya."

Jiraiya frowned at that before turning his attention to Rikku. "How about you? Do you have any of this healing magic that would be of any help to aid Naruto-kun? His own healing factor will heal him within a matter of days, certainly, but I'd hate to leave him like this."

Rikku smiled and nodded before digging around for a moment and pulling out one of her Garment Grids (or GG's for short) and replacing one of the Dresspheres for her White Mage dressphere. Doing a quick Spherechange, Rikku's outfit was replaced with a beautiful white robe decorated with a few tassels and red lines while she clutched a staff in her hands.

Quickly rising to her feet, Rikku grinned down at her new companions and raised her staff into the air above her head before saying a few quick words and shouting out: " **Curaga!** " and swinging her staff down at her feet and giggling happily as a bright green light shot up from the ground around Naruto. In a matter of moments, Naruto began to glow as his body began to heal and repair itself at a rather astonishing rate. Once the light faded away, the young man looked as good as new and the others were looking at Rikku in astonishment as she flashed them a 'V' for victory sign. "How was that, huh?!"

Jiraiya found himself grinning in appreciation at the young lady's talents and nodded his head at her to show his thanks. "That is most impressive. Thank you very much Rikku-chan for helping my godson. I'm curious to know now though," here, Jiraiya motioned at the wound on his chest and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly with his other hand, a soft grin appearing on his face at this point, "do you have any kind of magic that would purge this wound of the acidic qualities of the Kyuubi's chakra? I would also very much appreciate having my wound healed as well if you feel up to it."

Rikku nodded in response and peered closer at the wound before making a decision and quickly spherechanged again. This time, she donned a completely new outfit, outfitted in something that made her look the part of a chemist combined with some kind of frontline soldier, yet there was so much else that could be said about her new outfit as well. Despite this, both of her new companions admitted that her new outfit looked damn good on her as they watched her begin mixing a couple of strange-looking tonics together.

"Okay, take this Potion here, combine it with this here Dispel Tonic, and with a little Rikku magic we should be good to go." Once the young Al Bhed woman was finished with her creation, she turned to the white-haired male and presented her newly created concoction to him with a grin. "Here ya go Mister Jiraiya! Drink up and not only will your wound be healed but you'll be feeling right as rain in no time! I guarantee it!"

The Sannin looked down at the potion clutched in his right hand with a raised eyebrow before glancing back into Rikku's eyes with a curious gaze. "What exactly is this and what will it do?"

Frowning at him, the Al Bhed motioned for Jiraiya to drink up. As he did and she watched him swallow, Rikku grinned and decided to explain as the wound on his chest began to glow and heal. "That particular potion is called the Ultra Cure. You see, the dressphere I just changed into is the Alchemist dressphere, and with its special ability, Mix, I can create all kinds of nifty things by mixing things together! The Ultra Cure heals ailments of all kinds and heals wounds too! I figured it was the perfect thing to use to fix you right up. Sooo, you're feeling good as new, right?"

Blinking and patting at his chest, Jiraiya was stunned to see that there wasn't even any scar tissue present. With a grin, he nodded his head at Rikku and offered her a quick thanks before looking towards his apprentice. After a moment of deep thought, Jiraiya took a deep breath and nodded his head, his decision made. "Alright girls, I think I know how you've come to be here and you deserve to know what happened to cause this."

Seeing he now had their attention, Jiraiya pointed his right index finger at Naruto and frowned deeply. "What I'm about to reveal to you is very personal, top secret information in our village that I wouldn't reveal under normal circumstances. However, I'm willing to place my trust in you two. Naruto here, on the night of his birth, had a great beast known as the Kyuubi no Yoko sealed within him. It was attacking our village and the Yondaime Hokage had no choice but to seal it within a newborn child, and the one he chose was young Naruto here. He hasn't had an easy life, and the damn beast hasn't exactly been the most cooperative creature when working with my godson in regards to sharing its power with him, but that's why we're trying to train in the use of the Kyuubi's chakra on this training trip."

Sighing heavily, Jiraiya closed his eyes and began massaging the bridge of his nose. Shaking his head, the Sannin continued on. "Before you arrived, things went very wrong and Naruto lost control over the Kyuubi's chakra. He went on a rampage and I felt something change inside of him. You called this new power of his magic, correct?" Seeing them both nod, Jiraiya nodded once more. "Well, while my godson was going on his rampage, I can only assume that he ended up unleashing some kind of time/space magic that created wormholes of some sort that linked to your worlds and pulled you through them into our world. I don't know if he could do it again, but I'm certain that now that he has unlocked this power he can begin training in the use of this magic and gain control over it. If he can harness the power of this magic, he could become a true force to be reckoned with and really become a threat to the Akatsuki that are after him."

Releasing another heavy sigh, Jiraiya looked at his godson with a solemn expression on his face and decided to answer the unasked question that he knew the girls wanted to ask. "I know what you want to ask. 'Who, or what, are the Akatsuki?' right?" Turning to look into their eyes, one at a time, the white-haired male chuckled dryly and returned his gaze to his godson. "They're an organization filled with scumbags that want to capture the jinchuriki of the world, people with tailed beasts sealed within them," Jiraiya explained, seeing as he figured they didn't know what the word 'jinchuriki' meant, "and extract their bijuu, their tailed beasts." The old man was forced to explain the word 'bijuu' as well, due to their confused expressions signifying that they had no idea what he had just said.

Realizing that something was wrong with what Jiraiya had just said, Meru was the first to speak up in response to all that was revealed to them. "I'm guessing that if the Kyuubi were to be removed, something bad would happen to Naruto?"

Once more Jiraiya began to chuckle dryly. "Oh, it's worse than just 'bad', my dear. A jinchuriki who has had their bijuu removed…well…" Closing his eyes, the sannin just shook his head and put his palm to his face, letting out a quiet groan of frustration. "They die. I don't think any jinchuriki has survived a forced extraction before."

Eyes widening in surprise at this news, the girls glanced at each other before Rikku piped up, unable to hold her feelings in about the matter. "Well then why the hell are these Akatsuki people doing such a horrible thing?!"

At this question, the toad sage quirked a single brow and looked the thief squarely in the eyes. "Honestly? I don't rightly know. The only thing we _do_ know is that it's not for anything _good_. Their goals are as corrupt and evil as they are. They need to be stopped, and that's why I've been working on learning what I can via my spy network and training young Naruto here to the best of my ability. He's got so much potential that's gone to waste in that damnable village of ours. If only they could see past their petty hate and see him for who he is instead of _what_ he is, they'd see what an amazing young man he is."

Rikku and Meru both frowned at this and looked imploringly at their elderly new companion. "Jiraiya, you mentioned it earlier, albeit very briefly, that Naruto has had a hard life. Would you mind very much if you could elaborate for us exactly what he's had to endure so far? It sounds like it's been more than just a 'hard life'." Meru said, clearly concerned for the person she and Rikku silently vowed to teach their magic to.

Twitching ever so slightly at his slipup, the toad sage sighed again and nodded before turning to stare at his godson. "Jinchuriki don't get to live happy lives. In some villages, they're treated as nothing more than weapons. They are no longer people, just tools to be used and discarded when they are no longer useful. They'll remove the bijuu and place them into somebody new for the cycle to start all over again. In others, they're beaten and abused in horrible ways. Female jinchuriki have it especially bad…I highly doubt I have to explain how far that 'men' will go to make female jinchuriki feel worthless."

Clenching their fists in outrage at what their new friend was implying, the two women tried desperately to control their mounting fury, but it was rather difficult to do so. "And Naruto?" Meru asked through gritted teeth.

Sighing yet again, Jiraiya closed his eyes and shook his head before shrugging his shoulders. "I…wasn't there for him. All I can tell you is what I received in reports from my sensei, the late Sandaime Hokage, the third leader of our village." He explained, again reading their expressions to mean they didn't know what the words meant. "You can be upset with me about not being there for my godson if you want, I deserve it, believe me. Nobody could possibly beat me up more over it than I do myself every damn day for abandoning my duty to Naruto the way I did in favor of…of…fuck it. Peeping on women in their private moments just so I could work on writing my novels. Yes, I'm a perverted scumbag sometimes, I'll admit it. But I was also out of the village doing whatever I could to ensure he stayed safe. There was no damn way I was letting the enemies that would try to kill him get anywhere near enough to do it."

Deciding to let the fact that the old man just admitted to being a seriously perverted individual that didn't respect women's private time slide for the time being in favor of hearing more, both Meru and Rikku motioned for him to continue. Grateful for this, Jiraiya did exactly that. "From the reports, it would seem that Naruto was treated like he didn't exist for most of his life. When he was recognized by the people, he was treated with scorn and disrespect. He wasn't even treated as a human being would be. In fact, he was treated as if he was worse than **trash**."

Sighing heavily once again, Jiraiya looked to his godson and gently began brushing his hand through his golden locks. "They kicked him out of the orphanage when he was four years-old, sold him overpriced goods, including spoiled food and drink, they refused to train him correctly so he could become a good ninja upon graduation, therefore he failed the graduation exam TWICE! I could go on and on with everything they did to him! But…Sarutobi-sensei claims they didn't physically abuse him. However, I'm quite certain they did. My sensei was too damn soft on those bastards. Weak-hearted old fool that he was should've punished them much more severely, but noooo. A slap on the wrist and telling them "Don't do it again." and they got to go home like nothing ever happened. Bastard."

Frowning at what they heard, Rikku and Meru began thinking everything over before glancing at the unconscious blond before them. After a few moments, Rikku spoke up. "If it's truly been that terrible for him…why does he stay?"

"Because he honestly doesn't know any better. Naruto's honestly a damn idiot, but that's not his fault. They stunted his growth, both physically _and_ mentally. His team's sensei hasn't been any better, picking favorites and refusing to train his other two students. I've been doing everything I can for him, but he's stubborn and doesn't listen half the damn time. Hopefully you two have better luck breaking through to him to make him actually LISTEN. Kami knows I've done my damndest to make my godson listen when I try to teach him something! All he seems to want to learn are new techniques rather than other important things that would help boost his intelligence."

At this, the two young women got to thinking for a moment before a small grin tugged at Meru's lips. "Well, perhaps having a couple of pretty young women around might be just what he needs, hm? I have a feeling that if we stay patient with him and take the time to mix in a bit of 'book smarts' along with everything else we have to teach him, he might take to it a bit better than he would if we only tried to get him to focus on one thing in particular. Unless you have another idea Mister Jiraiya?"

Nodding his head as he listened to Meru's thoughts, the white-haired male smiled and found himself agreeing with her assessment. "That does sound like a good idea, though I do have one idea in mind that would help speed up the learning process. I think it would also provide a good compromise just in case he _does_ complain about having to learn the 'boring crap'. Shadow Clones."

Rikku and Meru both blinked at the strange term before the thief voiced the question on both of their minds. "Shadow Clones? What're those and how can they help?"

Jiraiya found himself smirking at the chance to teach them something and proceeded to point his right index finger into the air while he closed his eyes and adopted what he would call his 'teacher pose'. "Shadow Clones are a type of cloning technique that was first developed by the Nidaime Hokage, or Second Fire Shadow if you don't understand the term. Its primary purpose is to be used as an information-gathering/espionage technique, as whatever the Shadow Clone learns is transferred back to the user when it dispels. They can also be used in combat, which is what my godson uses them for, but unfortunately he has failed to determine their best purpose: training."

Sighing softly, the Sannin looked to his student and frowned. "Most people can only make a single Shadow Clone, with some being able to make up to maybe ten if they're lucky. Naruto, however, can make hundreds. By utilizing this jutsu, anything his clones learn, he will learn. I'm sure you can understand where I'm going with this…"

Meru nodded in response and looked at the unconscious young man. "That means that we can each train him in different things while another group focuses on catching up on his studies, am I right?"

Jiraiya nodded with a smile on his face before glancing to the blond again. "Bingo. I'll be sending one of my toads to Tsunade-hime to request that she send me as many books as she can. I want him to catch up on his studies, but at the same time I also want him to study up on jutsu scrolls and even human anatomy. If you can heal people with your magic, I want him to be able to do the same. I have a feeling that if he studies up on medical techniques, he'll be clever enough to come up with some new magic ideas that might just surprise us. It'd be fun to see, don't you think?"

Before either of them could reply, the three of them heard groaning coming from their unconscious comrade. Looking towards him, they saw him slowly opening his eyes and glancing in their direction. "Well g'morning there sleeping beauty. Nice to meetcha! I'm Rikku!" Rikku greeted cheerfully.

Meru giggled a bit and gave a quick wave of her hand. "My name is Meru. It's a pleasure to meet you Naruto. We've already become acquainted with Mister Jiraiya."

Rubbing at his eyes, the blond slowly sat up and looked around the area for a moment before his eyes settled on his master. "Pervy Sage, are you alright? I could see what was happening, but I couldn't control it. I'm so, so sorry."

Raising his hands in a placating gesture, Jiraiya smiled kindly at his pupil before patting him gently on the shoulders. "Naruto, it's alright. These women here arrived and healed the both of us, or more accurately, young Rikku here did. I'm fine, you're fine, and we have some things that we need to discuss. Please listen, alright Naruto?"

Nodding slowly, Naruto proceeded to listen to what Jiraiya and the girls had to say. They told him about the portals, about Naruto possessing magic, and their conversation with Jiraiya, all the way up until Naruto had awakened. Needless to say, at the end of it all, he was more than a little stunned. But there was one thing that bothered him. "Pervy Sage…I spoke with the Kyuubi while I was out. He already told me about my possessing this space/time magic. He didn't seem too pleased with me when I tried to demand that he tell me more about it or how I possessed **magic** of all things though. Still, I think the Kyuubi knows something about how I came to possess said magic, so I'm going to try and get closer to him somehow. If I can maybe…y'know, _befriend_ him…" at saying this, Naruto shuddered a bit, almost as if the idea disgusted him, "he might be more willing to speak to me. I don't know for sure, but it's worth a shot, don't you think?"

Thinking on it for a moment, Jiraiya found himself shrugging before nodding in acceptance. "If that's what you feel is best, then I've no objections brat. But, before you do anything...I need to tell you something. Well, more like a bunch of things that have been kept secret from you for far, far too long." Heaving a heavy sigh, Jiraiya decided to get the smallest secret, yet probably one of the most hurtful, out of the way first, "Naruto, I'm your godfather. I'm sorry I was never there for you growing up, but I'm trying to make up for it now by being here for you when you need me to be **now**. I want to teach you everything I can, and I want to be a positive role model in your life rather than just some jackass that was never there. I know it probably won't make a difference, but all that money you received growing up from an unknown source? That was me. I made sure that you received enough money to take care of yourself Naruto. I just…I wanted you to be happy. If I had known how bad you truly had it…"

Naruto was stunned; there was no other word for it. He sat there staring at the man he called Pervy Sage for a good three minutes before he finally said anything. "That's a really bad joke Pervy Sage. After everything I've just been told, which is a **lot** to take in on its own by the way, you go and tell me something like that? Do you know the kind of hell I went through back in Konoha, wishing I had some kind of family to care for me the way all those other kids had?! If you're my godfather, then prove it to me! Show me something that proves it!"

Despite his shouts and protests, Naruto knew, deep down, that his master was telling the truth. After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the great Sandaime Hokage, often gave him a monthly stipend that he would never say where it came from, only that it was an allowance of sorts to help him get by. Only a few people knew of this, and he doubted that Jiraiya would've thrown this kind of information out there just to hurt him like this. In truth, the blond just wanted all of this to be some bad dream to wake up from, but he knew it wasn't like that. So he sat there and he waited for the proof his godfather would give him.

Once again releasing a heavy sigh, the elder male reached into his pouch and pulled out his first ever book, one titled "The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi" and placed it in his student's hands. "You get your name from the main character of my first ever book, Naruto. Your father insisted on it, and your mother loved it as well. It's the first book I wrote, but sadly it didn't sell too well, unlike my Icha Icha series. But that's not the only proof I have for you Naruto. It's a good thing you're already sitting down, because you're not going to like what I'm about to tell you."

Frowning deeply, Jiraiya placed his hands upon his knees and looked hard into his godson's eyes. "The names of your father and mother are Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki respectively. The Yellow Flash of Konoha, hero of the Third Shinobi War and Yondaime Hokage of Konoha is your father, while the Red Hot Blooded Habanero is your mother. They died on the night of your birth, sealing the Kyuubi no Yoko inside of you after it was ripped from your mother, the second Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi. We don't know who released the Kyuubi or why, but we know the Kyuubi was freed from your mother and unleashed upon Konoha." Taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Jiraiya closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "So, your thoughts?"

As every word was processed by Naruto's brain, he became more and more distraught. He couldn't think straight and he began to breathe heavily as panic began to settle in. The blond's pupils turned to pinpricks as his thoughts raced. _That can't be. Somebody should've known, somebody_ had _to have known if I was the Yondaime's son! And Kushina Uzumaki?! Does that mean my last name wasn't just some random name given to me? They…they sealed the Kyuubi into me and left me to rot at the hands of the villagers rather than trying to be there for me! What the hell is going on?!_

Then, it was as if a switch was flipped as Naruto looked up into Jiraiya's eyes, his pupils dilating and his vision unfocused, the older man's face blurry to him. "The Sandaime knew, didn't he?! Why didn't he fucking tell me?! I deserved to know! Those damn villagers should've known that I was the Yondaime's son and left me alone! Other people had to have known, he couldn't have been the only one to know! I even **look** like him now that I think about it! That old bastard LIED to me! He lied whenever I asked about my parents! All I wanted to know is if I was loved! I deserved…I deserved to know Kami damn it!"

The worse Naruto's condition got, the more his magic began to spiral out of control. Soon enough, another portal opened behind him as he clutched at his head and began to cry. "Why…? Why didn't anybody tell me? Even Grandma Tsunade…she had to have known too. I can't trust anybody…"

As the portal grew bigger, the girls began trying to calm Naruto down, but nothing they tried worked. Eventually they hugged him tight and began whispering soothing words as the portal began to hum and pulsate violently behind them. Thankfully it wasn't trying to suck any of them in, but instead it seemed to be just sitting there, waiting for something almost. If their guess was correct, they'd likely have another new guest on their hands soon enough.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya just sat there with his eyes downcast and a frown marring his face. "Naruto, I am so, so sorry. I didn't mean for my news to upset you _this_ badly. I truly didn't. I just hope you can forgive your parents and the rest of us who hid the truth from you for so very long, my precious student."

 _ **Elsewhere, in the Realm of Time & Space**_

A couple of people, two young women to be precise, stood watching through a small viewing screen of sorts as what appeared to be a wedding was taking place between a blue-haired man and a beautiful red-haired young woman. These two were quite the pair of beauties themselves, one being a silver-haired woman with her long hair tied up almost like a ribbon in the back. She was tall with silver eyes and was wearing a beautiful red and purple kimono.

Her companion on the other hand was a blond woman with her long hair done in a long ponytail. She, like her compatriot, was also a tall woman, but she was dressed quite differently from the woman. The lovely young woman wore a one-piece outfit that was pink and white in color with the top being a sleeveless dress-like number that ended in an almost knee-length white skirt. She wore a loose black belt around her waist and thigh high stockings on her legs. Finally, she wore a pair of white gloves and pink boots to finish off her ensemble. Overall, she looked every bit the tomboy princess that she was.

Their names are Moebius and Towa, both from the world that they were currently viewing through the screen at this very moment, where the duo had finally kissed to cement their wedding to one another. Towa had a clearly visible frown on her face as she watched the two people she loved and cherished the most walking down the aisle, headed on their way outside of the castle to continue with the wedding celebration.

Seeing this, Moebius couldn't help but frown as she thought over what she should say. She didn't like what she was seeing, but it wasn't for the reasons one would think. Zack wasn't exactly the greatest guy, so the time goddess couldn't understand why Towa would fall in love with such a perverted bastard in the first place. So, with a plan in mind, she decided to speak to the forgotten princess.

"Towa, I've given you this chance to see them one last time before you remain trapped here with me for the rest of, well…eternity. But now I have to ask you something that I'm hoping you can answer for me." Seeing that she now had the princess' attention, Moebius continued on. "What the hell did you see in that perverted jackass? I just can't understand it. And don't answer with 'he's kind' or something stupid like that. Search inside yourself and try to find an answer for yourself. I want an honest answer from you. Take your time."

Towa blinked at the sudden question as she turned her gaze away from the image in front of her to stare into the time lord's eyes. After a moment, she returned her gaze to the wedding and frowned as she really began to think on what Moebius had asked. She began to truly think about all of her time spent with Zack, and frowned. While he _was_ a kind and caring person, he was also a **massive** pervert and she realized that she would sometimes catch him ogling some of her friends, whether he realized it or not.

Other times, she wondered what he was _really_ thinking when she talked to him and if he was really being honest with her. She knew she had deep feelings for him, but at the same time, she had sometimes asked herself: 'can I trust him to stay truly faithful to me?' and that thought worried her and caused a small frown to tug at her face.

After a moment, she turned to Moebius and hung her head before shrugging her shoulders. "I...don't really have an answer for you. Sometimes you just can't help who you fall in love with Moebius. The heart wants what the heart wants. And sometimes...that's enough."

At this, Moebius smirked and poked Towa's forehead with two of her fingers. "Ah, but you see, you began truly thinking and realized a few things, didn't you? You can't hide it from me little princess."

When Towa raised her head and glared into her eyes, Moebius simply chuckled before cancelling her viewing spell and staring hard into Towa's eyes. "I'll let you in on a few little secrets." Leaning in closer to the blond princess, the time goddess whispered quietly in her ear, tickling the princess with her breath. "He lied to you."

At this, Towa's eyes widened and she turned her head slightly, staring shocked into Moebius' eyes. "W-What?"

The grin on Moebius' face widened as she took a few steps back. "Oh yes. You see, there were a few romantic gestures that he took credit for that he really didn't do. He had others get things for him. He was either too lazy or too much of a coward to really put in the work required to do it himself, and yet he took allllll the credit for all of it. All so he could woo the pretty princess Toki. And during his time as Drake? Oh boy, that was such a fun little time for him! He tried so hard to see you and your friends in the nude. You should have seen all the times he worked with others behind your back just so he could sneak into the shower to see you and Toki in the nude! Hoo-boy that was naughty of him!"

Snickering to herself at the fury on Towa's face, Moebius decided to continue. "It wasn't just you though. He tried to use his cuteness as Drake to coerce your friends into bathing with him once I believe. And during your adventures through all those 'lovely' locations? Those 'compromising' positions you often wound up in? Yeah, some of those were intentional on his part. He LOVED those, just so he could see yours and Toki's panties, breasts, everything he could. You didn't know that though, **did you**?"

By this point, Towa was clenching her fists at her side, completely red in the face, and snarling. If she could, she'd slug Zack, take Toki FAR away from him, and make sure she'd be safe from the prick forever! However, all she could do now was settle for the tears welling up in her eyes that eventually started to trickle down her face from the sheer frustration and **anger** she was currently feeling.

Moebius shrugged before she continued to speak. "Why do you think I asked my question Towa? I just couldn't understand it. He's not exactly the greatest guy in the world. Sure, he's not the _worst_ guy out there, but you and Toki could've done soooo much better and you _know_ it. When I was trapped in that hourglass of yours, why do you think I didn't show that guy any respect and tried to convince you to drop the pathetic scumbag? You deserved better. Sure, it was fun screwing with you and Toki, but c'mon, I did NOT want you marrying that guy!"

Sighing to herself, Towa used the back of her hands to wipe away her tears before looking at Moebius. She wasn't sure how to feel about what the time goddess was saying right now. The princess was still angry with her, but she had to admit that Moebius had some good points. However, she was obviously still a bitch.

As Moebius and Towa were talking, the time goddess noticed a strange occurrence taking place behind the blond beauty. Quirking a brow, she couldn't help but tilt her head a bit and watch it for a moment. "Now who could possibly have the power to access _my_ realm I wonder?" Moebius questioned.

The princess turned to see what Moebius was talking about and stared wide-eyed at the portal that was mere inches from her. "What the hell is this?! Where did it come from?!" She screamed, quickly taking a number of steps back from it until she was standing next to the person she hated more than anyone, even that blasted Ricardo.

"If you must know, somebody opened up a portal into my realm. Though it's odd, I didn't think anyone would have the power to do so." Smirking to herself, Moebius turned her gaze to the blond at her side. "Why don't you go and check it out for me? See who it is and maybe train this person for a while in his/her powers. I'll come by later to check out this person's progress. Ta-ta little princess!" Laughing loudly, Moebius gave Towa a shove and watched with a large grin on her face as Towa fell through the portal, cursing her name loudly the entire time. "Ah, it's so much fun being me."

 _ **Back with Naruto & Company**_

It didn't take long for the blond princess to fall out of the portal and on top of our favorite blond hero, knocking him face first into the breasts of both Meru and Rikku as the four of them crumpled to the ground. Despite himself, Jiraiya couldn't help but giggle a bit perversely and whip out his notepad, quickly jotting down some notes before slipping it away a moment later so as not to bring down the wrath of the females in his and his godson's company.

After the group of four had untangled themselves from one another and separated themselves into a group of two men and three women, Towa looked around at the four people with her and grumbled to herself for a moment as the portal closed. "Which one of you opened that damned portal?"

At this question, Naruto sheepishly raised his hand and lowered his head. "I'm…I'm sorry for dragging you from your home. I received some news that I was taking very, very hard and I guess my newly discovered magic spiraled out of control and, well…here you are. I honestly didn't mean to! But…" Looking at Jiraiya with narrowed eyes, the blond punched him in the arm suddenly and glared even fiercer. "I want you to answer me damn it!"

Before Jiraiya could speak, Towa piped up and shook her head. "Whatever's going on, I don't really care right now. I need some answers myself. First though, I suppose I should say thank you. I wasn't exactly in the greatest place, so I'm grateful to get out of there and have _something_ to do again. Now, can anyone explain to me where I am, what's going on, and why exactly I'm here?"

At this, Jiraiya sighed and patted his godson on the shoulder before chuckling a bit. "I'll answer you in a bit Naruto. First, I think introductions are in order, as well as an explanation for the lovely young woman here, wouldn't you agree?" And with that, the group of four began to explain everything to their new companion to help catch her up to speed. Afterwards, they introduced themselves to her and she to them before Towa decided to drop her bombshell.

"Naruto, I suppose I should let you know something. I'm something of a master when it comes to time and space magic. So from now on, I'll be your instructor in your attempt to master said magic yourself. Which you DESPERATELY need, considering we can't have you constantly opening portals and accidentally dragging more and more people from their homes, got it?" Towa stated with a small smirk playing at her lips.

Hearing this, the four of them couldn't help but smile. It looked like they had really lucked out in meeting Towa! With a happy nod, Naruto grinned excitedly and grabbed Towa's hands in his. "Thank you! I'm glad I summoned you here! I'm looking forward to learning under you sensei!"

Giggling to herself, Towa smiled softly and then motioned to Jiraiya. "I'm looking forward to teaching you Naruto. Now, I believe you were trying to press Jiraiya for some answers?" The woman smirked a wicked little smirk at putting the older male in the hot seat once again.

Sweating a bit nervously, Jiraiya chuckled nervously for just a moment before releasing a heavy sigh and decided to speak. "Naruto…sensei didn't feel you were ready to know yet. He thought that you might go running around the village shouting about being the son of the Yondaime rather than keeping it secret. You were a hyperactive young kid after all, and with how you were treated…well…" Shrugging his shoulders, the Toad Sage hoped his message got through to the young man.

Growling to himself, Naruto clenched his fists tightly and had to restrain himself from assaulting the old man. It seemed that Jiraiya's explanation had only made Naruto angrier rather than calming him. "I could've kept it a secret if I was told to Jiraiya. Now why didn't you ever come to see me? Why didn't you or Tsunade tell me who my parents were during all this time we've spent together? She could have told me at any point, same with you. But I'm only learning about it **now** of all times. So I want to know!"

Sighing once again, Jiraiya shrugged his shoulders and smiled sadly at his apprentice. "Sadly, I don't have a good answer for you Naruto. I don't know why I didn't tell you. I was scared to, but that's not a good enough reason. As for not coming to see you…I don't know. I just…I don't know. As for Tsunade not telling you, I again can't tell you because I just don't know. And the same goes for anybody else that knew. I honestly don't know why nobody ever told you who your parents were."

Frowning, the sage looked directly into his godson's eyes once again. "There's something else Naruto. You _do_ come from a clan. The Uzumaki clan to be precise. Sadly, they are practically extinct, all except for you and maybe a few others scattered about the Elemental Nations that we don't know about. Hell, I don't know if there are any other Uzumaki alive out there. For all I know, you're the last one. You might end up being put into the CRA now that you know your heritage. And in case you don't know what that is, it's short for the Clan Restoration Act, which is used to restore an endangered clan.

I can explain more on that later if you really want to know. But right now I think it's time for us to discuss your training schedule for the next few years. I want to make sure you're truly prepared for the Akatsuki and any other threats you might face in the future. No more of this slow crap we've been doing. It's time for you to be put through absolute hell in order to grow stronger and I intend to push you to your very limits until you're strong enough to take on anybody that comes for you or those you love. Got it?"

Naruto frowned at Jiraiya's lack of an explanation about why nobody ever told him, but he at least understood why he couldn't explain it. Still, he ended up grinning broadly about the prospect of finally getting some serious training in. So with a grin, Naruto prepared to listen to what the Pervy Sage had in store for him. _This is going to be awesome, dattebayo!_

* * *

 **A/N - Yes, I am finally back! And yes, I have started a new story. lol. I'm sure this might bother some of you, considering I'm sure a lot of you would prefer I update some of the stories I already have up. However, I've had this story planned for years now and I only now got around to working on it. This is a story a good friend of mine has been looking forward to for a long time and I didn't mean to keep him waiting anywhere NEAR as long as I did. For that, you have my apologies my friend. You know who you are! lol.**

 **Anyways, as you can likely already tell, this story is going to contain characters from a number of different universes, which means anything can happen and you can likely expect the unexpected in terms of which character might make an appearance and when. Heck, I'll even let you suggest characters you might like to see if you want! I can't guarantee I'll add them, but if they're interesting enough, I might be interested in trying it out. Keep in mind though that I don't plan to bring in too many, but I would like to make this crossover pretty dang interesting all the same.**

 **Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter, and I'm eager to see what kind of response this new fic gets. I'll be working on chapter 2 of this fic shortly, so I hope to have that one done at some point. lol.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Training Accidents & Bonding**

One month has passed since Naruto accidentally dragged the three women from their worlds. During this month, a number of things have happened he considered to be both good and bad. The bad was fairly simple: having to force his clones to read books, taking the time to proofread his godfather's latest work in his perverted novel series, and being attacked for an incident that turned out to be one giant misunderstanding.

 _ **Flashback**_

The group of five had stopped in a small village for the day after a hard day of training for Naruto. It had been a week since he and Jiraiya had met the girls and since he had begun a much fiercer training regiment consisting of what he would call Shadow Clone **torture**. Book studies were not something he was fond of, but he was starting to understand, after sorting through all the memories he had to go through, why it was so necessary. More than that though, he was refining his taijutsu with Jiraiya and learning a variety of things from the girls.

From Meru, he was learning how to use combat magic and dancing, of all things, as well as how to wield and fight with a hammer the size that she typically used in combat. Meru's magic was interesting, seeing as she was not just a Dragoon, but a Wingly as well, she decided to not only show him some of her species' magic, but teach him in how to use it as well. Or at least, she was teaching him the theory behind it in the hopes he would be able to recreate said spells and use them in a way that suited Naruto just right.

Dancing was an interesting concept for Naruto. At first he laughed at Meru, thinking she was joking when she suggested he learn how to dance. When she clobbered him with her hammer for daring to laugh at her chosen profession, the blonde quickly shut up and listened to exactly _why_ she wanted him to learn how to dance. Meru proceeded to tell the energetic ninja that learning how to dance would help Naruto with his footwork and help him become more flexible and nimble, as well as light on his feet. Not only that, but if he ever had to attend some kind of party or a ball of some sort and had to blend in and/or dance with a member of the opposite sex, he wouldn't end up embarrassing himself if he learned how to dance now. All-in-all, her reasoning seemed quite sound and the fifteen year-old ninja ended up agreeing with her wholeheartedly that learning how to dance sounded like quite the good idea!

From Rikku, Naruto received a Garment Grid and was told to try out a few of the dresspheres. When he did, he found himself donning male versions of the dresspheres that Rikku would commonly change into. Pleased with this, the bubbly thief told Naruto that she would take the time to train Naruto in everything she could that dealt with the various dresspheres she had, how to use the Garment Grids properly, and more. She also told him that practicing in all of these things would definitely make him a better ninja, and when he asked how, Rikku proceeded to explain it like this:

'A thief has to be light on their feet and quick with their fingers. By practicing in that dressphere and learning how to pickpocket somebody as well as learning how to move even more stealthily than you already do, you'll become more adept at handling your kunai and shuriken and, naturally, be more skilled in the art of stealth.

An alchemist deals in a wide variety of tonics, potions, poisons, and other such things. By learning what items combine to make what product, not only will you become more knowledgeable in such things, but you will also learn how to handle all of these things as well. You could even become something of a professional when it comes to poisons if you wanted, therefore providing your village with some very potent toxins and venoms that would definitely put your enemies down for hours, days, or even forever if need be. Or, if you wanted, you could make some life-saving tonics and potions. It all depends on what the alchemist desires to do, and **you** would hold that power in your hands.

A trainer works with animals of varying kinds. I, myself, work with little Ghiki, my monkey buddy, but you would not only have your own animal companion, you would also be learning how to deal with animals in general. You would be able to calm them, even command them on the battlefield or instruct them on how to best aid an ally. Not only this, but you'll also learn how to tend to wounded animals and learn to heal them as well. This would be beneficial, as from what I understand, there are ninja in Konoha that fight alongside ninja hounds, and I'm sure they would appreciate you coming to their companions' aid.'

Needless to say, Rikku had an answer for pretty much every dressphere, and Naruto absorbed all of her information like a sponge. He wanted to learn, and he was happy to do so from the lovely young woman. He was also happy to learn more magic from Rikku as well, such as White and Black Magic, and even some of her Blue Bullet magic as well, some of which was just amazing to witness for him and he was excited to try and learn if he could.

From Towa, he was learning how to better wield a kunai as if he would a dagger, and he was even learning how to wield her rifle as well, just in case she was ever unable to for whatever reason. So far, she hadn't taught him anything about his time/space magic, but she told him that it was a dangerous magic and that, with his lack of control, it was still too dangerous to attempt to harness at this point in time. So for now, he was content to simply learn what he could from her.

At least, that's what he told himself until she decided yesterday that he lacked proper etiquette and decided it would be prudent of her to teach him how to handle himself better amongst people, especially should he ever need to handle himself amongst members of a noble class. This was proving to be a bit of a nightmare for the young Uzumaki and he honestly felt like bashing his head into a wall just thinking about it. All those rules were a damned, bloody nightmare!

Finally, from Jiraiya, he was learning the art of sealing, or at least that's what he _would_ be learning sometime in the near future. First, he and his clones needed to improve his handwriting to an adequate level before he would even be _allowed_ to attempt sealing. In the meantime, while he worked on improving his handwriting, he was being taught about individual seals and what each small piece did. Surprisingly, at least to Naruto, he found that understanding seals came quite easily to him, though Jiraiya explained this as part of his Uzumaki heritage, that it would likely come easily to Naruto as it did to his mother as well.

Along with seals, Naruto was being taught advanced chakra control exercises to try and get his chakra **and** magic control levels up to snuff, or at least Jiraiya hoped it would help him learn how to control his magic better. At the same time, Naruto was being taught more in the ninjutsu department from not only Jiraiya, but from various scrolls his sensei had procured from both his travels and from whatever Tsunade had managed to send him. On top of all of this, Naruto was even allowed to study scrolls on medical ninjutsu, and this was quite interesting to the young man as he never thought he'd get to try such a thing. Of course, it was explained to Naruto shortly after he received the scrolls that they were only there to help him get a better understanding of things so that he'd be able to understand and use his healing magic to a better degree.

Thanks to Jiraiya, Naruto had also figured out his chakra nature, or should he say, _natures_. Naruto was aligned to both wind- and fire-natured chakra, so the majority of the ninjutsu he was going to learn were based in those. However, that didn't mean that Naruto wasn't going to learn ninjutsu for the other elements as well, as Jiraiya wanted the boy to be as well-versed as possible so he could stand up to **any** opponent, **especially** those in the Akatsuki. Finally, Jiraiya was trying to improve Naruto's understanding of genjutsu, as well as his resistance to it and how to break it should he ever be caught in one. Which leads us to our current problem.

After such a long week of training, Naruto was glad to finally have a chance to relax. When they found an inn with a hot spring in the back that was divided into both men's and women's sides, he was eager to jump at the chance to rest his weary and aching body. So, without a second thought, the young blonde rushed into what he thought was the male's side of the hot springs. Of course, what he failed to realize was that there was a genjutsu placed over the signs that faded just after he entered the 'men's' side, revealing that he had, instead, entered the women's side.

After disrobing and grabbing a towel, Naruto rushed outside to the hot spring, only to freeze for a moment as there was a lot of steam in the air. Waving his hand in front of his face for a moment, the young man soon found himself frozen in abject horror. "Oh shit."

Sitting there in the hot spring, naked as the day she was born, was Towa, her eyes closed and her long, blonde hair splayed out behind her on a rock. She looked breathtakingly beautiful to his eyes, but at the same time, he knew he was in deep, _deep_ shit if she caught him. Sadly, he just had to mutter that out loud, and so she snapped her eyes open and looked directly at him with a murderous glare. "What the hell are you doing in here?!" Towa snapped angrily.

Mouth dangling open, Naruto stammered for an answer as he glanced back at the doorway he entered from and back again at the nude beauty a few times before he felt tears streaming down his face. _I am SOOO dead!_ "Th-The signs! I thought…but…please don't kill me!"

Now standing out of the hot spring, Towa finished wrapping her towel around her body and grasped her Dagger of Eternity and pressed it up against the younger male's throat. "And why the hell shouldn't I?! You just saw me naked! You're just like Zack, I swear!" Towa shouted angrily as memories of what Moebius told her flashed through her mind. All those times with Zack and those moments with him started flashing through her mind and she ended up pressing the dagger harder against Naruto's neck to the point it began to bleed a little.

Gulping, Naruto took a short step back and pressed himself against the wall. "I'm not like him, I swear to you Towa. The signs…they were switched or something, I swear." Reaching up, Naruto rubbed at his neck and stared at the blood on the palm of his hands for a moment before he looked up again into Towa's eyes. "I didn't mean to make you remember him. I think…I think I know who's to blame for this if you really want to take out your frustrations on somebody right now. Pervy Sage. He's the only one I can think of who would do something like this."

Looking into the younger male's eyes, the blonde princess shook her head in an effort to stave off the memories and frowned as she slipped the dagger back into its holster on her thigh. "Fine. I believe you. Now are you going to be okay? I'm sorry that I cut you."

Naruto waved her off and smiled a bit. "Nah, it's okay. My teammate does a LOT worse than that, trust me. I wouldn't even do anything and she'd hit me over the head or punch me in the face and send me flying. It…it hurts when she'd do that. I mean…I care for her a lot, but…all she could ever see was the teme. She probably still likes the bastard even though he's betrayed the village for that snake pedo. You guys managed to talk me out of that stupid promise I made, which I'm grateful for by the way, but…I dunno. Sakura…she…I…I just don't know, y'know?"

Sighing to herself, Towa shook her head and walked over to the boy. Reaching up, she patted him on the shoulder and gave him a soft smile when he looked her in the eyes. "You have the next two years to decide how you should feel about your teammate Naruto. Don't try to rush it and come to a hasty decision. Okay? For now, what do you say we go and teach that perverted teacher of yours a lesson he won't soon forget? I for one vote for chopping off one of his testicles. What do you think?"

Chuckling nervously to himself, Naruto weakly voiced his own opinion. "Umm, Towa? I don't know if you've noticed, but I happen to be a guy myself, so…yeah. Just the thought of that happening to another guy sends shivers down my spine. Besides, I'm still very sore from everything, so I think I'd like to rest in the _actual_ guys' side of the hot springs. You go have fun torturing the hell out of my teacher. Just…try not to kill him okay? I do still need him after all."

 _ **End Flashback**_

As for the good bits, Naruto felt that was easy enough: plenty of training, and he was growing closer to not just the girls, but his godfather as well. Despite being left to rot in the village of his birth without anyone to truly care for him, the young man found himself easily forgiving Jiraiya as he couldn't find it in himself to hate the man after he was going so far to help Naruto in the here and now.

Rikku had actually opened up to Naruto about her past and about her feelings for Tidus, along with the jealousy she felt towards her cousin, Yuna, and how it made her feel so guilty for falling for the same man she did. Despite worrying that he might get hit for doing it (you can blame Sakura's constant abuse for such an expectation), Naruto pulled the thief into a hug and stroked her hair gently as he let her cry into his shoulder. The young Uzumaki knew it couldn't have been easy to talk about, and he wished he could have said something wise and insightful that would have cheered her up, but for now, all he could really do was offer her his shoulder to cry on. Little did he know that simply being there for her and showing that simple act of kindness was enough for her in that moment.

As for Meru, she acted pretty much as she always did, excited and bubbly. But Naruto had experience with wearing a mask and was able to see that, despite everything, Meru was hurting as well. So he pulled her aside during one of her training sessions with him and decided to talk to her about her friends, the ones she was stolen away from. It wasn't a very long discussion, as she didn't want to truly talk about it just yet, but she was grateful that Naruto cared enough to try and cheer her up.

Now, however, finds our young hero standing before the ex-princess Towa. She had decided that she would be training Naruto today, but she seemed far sterner and more serious than she usually behaved. So, curious about what was going on, Naruto spoke up. "Towa, what's going on? You're acting kind of…'off'. Is everything alright?" He queried, hoping that nothing was wrong with his friend.

Glancing into the younger man's eyes for a moment, the amber-eyed woman released a heavy sigh and shook her head. "I'm just concerned, that's all. We're starting on your time and space magic training today Naruto and I'm concerned that maybe…well…"

Guessing where she was going with this, Naruto frowned as well and nodded his head. "You're worried that maybe it's too soon. I understand. It's dangerous and anything could go wrong, right?"

Nodding her head in response, Towa let a small smile tug at her lips before a stern frown took hold and she resumed her serious posture. "Alright Naruto. You've been working on your control for the past month, and I do think you're ready for this. For now, the first spell I want you to try is to speed up the time around you. In order to do this, I want you to watch me first so you can see what I do, alright? Analyze it and try to figure out what I've done. If you need help figuring it out, just let me know. However, I want to see if you can figure it out on your own."

With that being said, Towa activated her Time Surge spell and practically disappeared before reappearing quite some distance away. In the blink of an eye, she was right back where she started, staring calmly down at her charge for the day. "I call this spell Time Surge. Now, see if you can figure it out."

Naruto sat himself down in a cross-legged position and closed his eyes as he began to meditate on it and think. _It almost looked as if she was teleporting from place to place. But from what she told me beforehand, I don't think that's it. Speed up the time around me? How could that be possible? Is that what she did? But how? Think Naruto!_

Releasing a shaky breath, Naruto gripped his left knee hard and bit his bottom lip as he struggled to find the answer to this puzzle. _Wait, if she wasn't teleporting, maybe she was just moving really, really fast? Could speeding up the time around somebody really cause such a thing to happen? Could I_ really _learn how to do such an awesome thing? If so, nobody would be able to catch me! But…wait…there_ _ **has**_ _to be a catch to this._

Opening his eyes and looking up into the eyes of his mentor, Naruto decided to voice his question. "If you're capable of speeding up time like that and moving that fast, what's the catch?"

Smirking at this, the blonde beauty walked up to Naruto and patted him gently on the head. "I'm glad you caught on. Speeding up time like that used to cause a few problems for me. The first of which, when I was first starting out, is I'd end up not only speeding myself up, but my enemies as well. Needless to say, that didn't make it a very beneficial spell to cast. But refining the spell and my abilities made it so that particular problem didn't exist anymore. Instead, the downside now is the fact that it puts an incredible strain on the spellcaster's body. You can't maintain the spell for long periods of time. In other words, you can only use the spell in short bursts to give yourself an edge, otherwise you run the risk of doing serious harm to your own body. But considering what you have inside of you and how sturdily you're built, I'm not sure how long you can hold it for before you finally have to cancel the spell. All I know is that you're better suited for this kind of spell than I am, hence why it's the first time spell I'm willing to teach you."

Smiling happily at that, Naruto nodded in acceptance of her words, both due to his happiness at her acknowledging him in such a way, and his eagerness to get started with the training. Seeing this, Towa giggled a bit and took a few steps back before she began explaining what Naruto had to do. "Now I want you to stand up and close your eyes Naruto. Visualize the world around you and focus hard on the magic inside of you. Now imagine the flow of time in the world bending to your will. Imagine it surging around you, slowing to a crawl, then speeding up to almost a blur as you will yourself to move faster than light itself."

Doing as instructed, the orange-clad ninja began to focus on the magic within him and thought clearly about what he wanted to do. When he felt like he had a good grasp on it, Naruto tried to will time to bend to his will, only for things to feel slightly 'off' to him. Unsure as to what exactly went wrong, Naruto began to try again and again, at least until Towa shouted at him to stop what he was doing and open his eyes.

Doing so, Naruto opened his eyes and turned to see a rather unstable-looking portal right in front of him, right between the two blondes. Gulping slightly, Naruto tried to reign in his magic in the hopes that the portal would go away, but it was too late, the portal was there and it wasn't going away until its purpose was completed. "Towa, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen!"

 _ **Remnant – Moments earlier**_

Yang cursed inside her mind as she slew another creature of the Grimm species. Ever since Pyrrha accidentally killed that Penny girl that Ruby was so fond of, things had gone to Hell in a crap basket! She had been watching the fight on her scroll when it happened. Pyrrha's behavior had been odd throughout the fight, but Yang felt it was similar somehow, though she couldn't quite place it at the moment because of all the other thoughts rushing through her head.

As the blonde bombshell rushed around a corner in search of her partner, she let her mind wander to the words of the mysterious 'Red Queen'. All that bullshit she was spouting out was honestly enough to gnaw at Yang's brain. Who the hell did that chick think she was?! Gah! It didn't matter! All that mattered now was that Beacon was under attack and she _needed_ to find her partner before the bastards from the White Fang could find her.

Rounding another corner, Yang shouted out her best friend's name before finally spotting her. When she did, Yang went to approach her, only to suddenly freeze on the spot and go wide-eyed as the Faunus standing above her stabbed the amber-eyed young woman through her stomach. White-hot rage consumed the busty blonde at this point and she shouted out: "Get away from HER!" as her semblance activated, turning her eyes red and causing her hair to flare up as it so often did when she got like this.

As Yang leapt at Adam Taurus, the target of her blind rage, and the White Fang leader prepared to counter her assault, a strange (and quite unexpected) phenomenon took place between the two fighters. Opening right there in Yang's flight path was a large, grey and red portal that the airborne brawler had no hope of avoiding. So, accepting her inevitable fate, Yang closed her eyes and flew right into the awaiting portal, falling unconscious shortly afterwards.

Seeing this happen, Blake's eyes widened even more than they already had at seeing her partner so recklessly charge her ex-boyfriend. _Yang! No!_ Grabbing Gambol Shroud, Blake stumbled to her feet and hurried after her into the portal, the thing closing right behind her, thus preventing Adam from reaching her.

Screaming out in anger and frustration, Adam Taurus slashed apart an Alpha Creep that leapt at him from a blind spot and glared at where his ex-girlfriend and her partner had disappeared. "I swear to you Blake, wherever you went, whatever you might be up to, I **will** find you and I **will** make you pay. If it takes me the rest of my years, I'll make sure you **suffer** for what you did to me."

 _ **Back with Naruto and Towa**_

Whatever the two of them were expecting, a beautiful pair of women falling out of the portal unconscious was most certainly _not_ at the top of their list. Well, at least it wasn't at the top of Naruto's list. Towa on the other hand… "Naruto, I have a question for you."

Glancing at his companion, Naruto raised an eyebrow as he knelt down to begin looking over the two to make sure they were alright, quickly noticing that while the blonde was simply knocked out from the trip through the portal, the shorter of the two young women was in much worse shape and would need medical attention _soon_. "What's up Towa?"

"When you're opening these portals, exactly what are you thinking about? Do you think about women or something? Because so far, all that we've seen coming through these portals of yours are women. Rikku and Meru were first, then there's me, and now these two. Who's next, hm?" Towa queried, genuinely curious about what would happen the next time he accidentally opened a portal to some unknown world and/or dimension.

Blinking in confusion at this, Naruto shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "Nah, I'm not really thinking of anything like that. The first time was when I was attacking Jiraiya in my four-tailed state, so I can't really say _what_ I was thinking at that point as I wasn't exactly in an 'aware' state. The second time, with you, I was having a panic attack of sorts, so again, not really thinking very well. And this time? I was so focused on trying to get that spell of yours right that I didn't have much else on my mind. I think it's just a coincidence that everyone that's come through these portals has turned out to be a female so far."

Nodding her head at this, Towa reasoned that her new friend's reasoning was sound enough and decided to voice another concern. "Fair enough. For now, I think you have your first real patient, Naruto. It's time to test out your healing magic on that girl there. Nobody else is here with us at the moment, so you're going to need to get this right. You've already had some practice healing Jiraiya after he got himself clobbered at that hot spring resort we passed that one time, but he wasn't as severely hurt as this one is. I want you to focus Naruto and remember to breathe and stay calm. Don't let your nerves get to you."

Mumbling "Gee, no pressure Towa-chan." under his breath, Naruto placed both of his hands over the black-haired girl's stomach and began to focus on his magic once again. However, this time he knew exactly what he was trying to do. Remembering his lessons with Rikku, the young blonde began to slowly, but surely heal the wounded girl's stab wound. When it was finally gone and she was fully healed, Naruto fell back and laid on the grass with a big smile on his face. "Phew! I'm glad that's over with. I was feeling pretty nervous there for a while."

"So was I. That's my girlfriend you were tending to after all. If it wasn't for the fact that I saw you healing her like that, I would've clobbered you for sure." A voice he hadn't heard before said to him. Opening his eyes, Naruto leaned up to look at the blonde girl and smiled to see that she was awake and looking at him. "Hi there Blondie. Name's Yang, what's yours?"

"In case you haven't noticed, you're blonde too, y'know? Anyways, I'm Naruto and this is Towa. It's nice to meet you Yang. Thank you for not attempting to clobber me while I was healing your…wait…did you say she's your _girlfriend_? As in girl friend or romantically involved girlfriend? 'Cause if that's so, you're going to want to be careful around my godfather. He'll _definitely_ want to use that in one of his dirty books for sure!" Naruto rambled on for a time, clearly getting off topic towards the end as what Yang had said managed to get processed in his mind.

As this happened, Towa sighed and decided to smack Naruto upside the head for being an insensitive idiot as he was wont to do sometimes. "Naruto, it seems I'm going to need to double my efforts in teaching you proper etiquette. You clearly lack tact in dealing with situations such as this still. Anyways, it's nice to meet you Yang. As Naruto told you, my name is Towa. Might I ask who your girlfriend is and what exactly happened to her that left her in such a horrible state?"

Snickering to herself for a moment, Yang winked at Naruto before looking to Towa and answering her question. "It's alright princess, no harm done." She couldn't help but notice the slight twitch the ponytailed blonde made at being called princess and decided to file that away for later. Shrugging it off, Yang turned to her companion and gently brushed a few fingers through her long, silky hair. "This is Blake. Blake Belladonna is her full name. Mine's Yang Xiao Long in case you were wondering. We…we just came from a horrible battle. Blake's ex-boyfriend came after her. Needless to say, he hurt her bad and in more ways than one. He stabbed her and I tried to attack him when this portal appeared in between us. I never got the chance to hurt him for what he did to her. Then again…"

Towa saw where she was going with her line of thought and decided it was probably left unsaid. Instead, she stepped forward and placed a gentle hand upon the slightly younger woman's shoulder. "Don't let it eat away at you. You've lived to fight another day. That's what really matters here. You and your girlfriend are safe now and that monster has no way of reaching you here."

Naruto decided to speak up again at this point, wanting to try and comfort the gorgeous woman before him any way that he could. "Yang, I'm not entirely sure what you and Blake have been through, but as Towa said, you are both safe now. I'm going to go retrieve my godfather and my other teachers. There's…more you need to hear Yang. Both you _and_ Blake. While you two may be safe now, there _is_ some bad news that needs to be shared with you both. Let me just say that I'm sorry in advance."

Yang blinked in confusion as she watched her fellow blonde rise to his feet and rush off, probably to fetch the others he mentioned. As he did, the busty brawler turned to the ex-princess and decided to ask something. "So what's your story? I noticed you flinched when I called you princess earlier."

Frowning at her, Towa huffed and glanced at Blake in order to avert her eyes from the curious blonde's questioning gaze. "I don't really know you well enough to talk about my problems with you just yet. But if you must know, I _used_ to be a princess. That's all I'll say on the matter."

Nodding her head in appreciation of that, Yang turned her gaze back onto her girlfriend and leaned over her to place a light kiss atop her forehead. "It's alright if you don't trust me enough yet to talk to me about your past problems. I didn't really expect you to open up to me just like that, right off the bat. I've got things I don't really want to open up about with a complete stranger just yet either." With a shrug of her shoulders, the young lady from Remnant offered Towa an understanding smile that Towa returned.

Within a few moments, Naruto came back into view with three other people, two women and a much older male with a long mane of white hair. After they reached the group of three women, Blake finally began to stir and slowly opened her eyes. Glancing around, the young feline Faunus looked around at her surroundings and, upon seeing so many unfamiliar faces, quickly grasped her blades and leapt up, flipping backwards away from the group and taking a defensive stance. It was then that she noticed she didn't feel any pain from the action. Glancing down at her stomach, Blake began to pat at herself in confusion before looking to Yang with a curious gaze. "Yang? What happened? Where are we?"

Rising to her feet, Yang walked over and pulled her girlfriend into a tight hug before kissing her sweetly on the lips, causing a deep red blush to overtake her. Freezing for a moment as her eyes darted to their company, Blake eventually ended up giving into the kiss and closed her eyes, slowly returning her girlfriend's gesture in earnest, happy to know that she was alive and well. When they pulled away from one another, Blake's blush had lessened somewhat and she asked her questions again. "Not that I'm not happy to see you too Yang, but what exactly happened while I was out?"

Shrugging her shoulders in response, Yang turned to face their audience with a smug grin on her face. "Well, I believe our audience could probably provide us with some answers Blakey. When I came to, I saw Mr. Blondie over there healing you with some kind of glowing magic hand trick of some kind. I was about to clobber the hell out of him because I thought he was about to hurt you until I saw what he was doing for you. But other than that, I really don't know where the heck we are or what's going on. Sooo, would the peanut gallery like to fill us clueless peasants in on our situation?"

At this, Naruto decided that the wisest course of action he could take was to hide behind the strongest person there: Jiraiya. As he did this, the white-haired, older male shot him a withering glare that just _screamed_ 'you fucking traitor!' before he decided to address the two young women and inform them of their situation they now found themselves in thanks to his godson.

"I've already been informed of the situation regarding the both of you. Apparently your little girlfriend there was attacked by her ex-boyfriend and Naruto here healed her. First, allow me to say that I'm glad the two of you are alright." Taking a deep breath, the famous author decided it was time to break the bad news to the both of them. "However, you need to hear the bad news about your situation. You are no longer in your world. The two of you were dragged from your world thanks to my idiot godson here. He lost control of his magic and opened a portal to your world that dragged the both of you through it and deposited the both of you here before him. I'd say that it's lucky it did, considering the kind of wound you had young lady." Jiraiya said, nodding his head at Blake.

Before they could say anything, the black-eyed male held up his hand and continued on. "Before you ask, currently there is no known way to return you to your world. My godson here dragged these three from their home worlds as well. Until he gets better control over his magic, there's no guarantee that he can ever open up a portal to your world again. As it is, it was a matter of chance that he happened to open up a portal to your world when he did. If you had loved ones or even family and unfinished business back home, I apologize sincerely for robbing you of all of that." Bowing low to the two young women, Jiraiya forced Naruto out from behind him and pushed his head down until he was on his knees and prostrating himself before the two of them as well. "My idiot godson is sincerely apologetic as well. He'll be working harder than ever to gain control over his magic so he can try to fix this. Please don't be too upset with him, he didn't mean to hurt you."

As Jiraiya's words registered in their brains, Yang and Blake stood there frozen in shock. They couldn't go home? They were stranded in a new world and might never get to see their friends and family again? How? How was this _fair_?!

As Blake collapsed to her knees, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to find the words to express her thoughts, Yang clenched and unclenched her fists, anger clearly taking hold. Eventually she reached a boiling point and raised her gaze, narrowing her red eyes in anger as she glared at the young man before her. Preparing to stomp forward and clobber him for taking away Ruby, her pops, and everything else she loved, she almost lashed out when Blake reached out and grasped her hand tightly. Glancing back and down at her girlfriend, Yang's gaze softened considerably as her hair fell back down and her eyes returned to their usual violet coloring. Blake was shaking her head no, telling her not to attack the younger male.

Turning her amber eyes to look straight into the eyes of the blonde male's, Blake decided to voice a question. "Will you make me a promise? Will you promise to try and master your power and find a way to help us see our loved ones again at the very least? That's all I ask. Even if you can't get us home, I just want to be sure they're okay, that they're safe and happy."

Hearing this, Naruto walked over to Blake and placed both of his hands upon her shoulders before smiling brightly and nodding determinedly. "Blake, on my name as Naruto Uzumaki, I promise you that I will master my magic and find a way to get you and Yang home. I never break my promises…" Pausing for a moment, Naruto chuckled nervously for a moment and shook his head. "Except for one, but that's because my teammate wanted me to bring a traitor back to the village for her when he left willingly to join a really bad guy. Wasn't exactly a smart promise of me to make, so I'm kinda glad these four talked me out of it. But that's not important right now. What _is_ important is making sure you understand that I **will** get you and your girlfriend home. I promise you that."

Nodding in appreciation of this, Blake looked up at her girlfriend to see her grinning down at the blonde. "Well said Blondie. With determination like that, I actually believe you'll get us home someday. Might not be anytime soon, but if you're that determined, I'm willing to stick with ya until you fulfill your promise. How about you kitty cat?"

Sighing at the nickname and palming her face, the feline Faunus groaned for a moment. "You know I hate it when you call me that. Why you still do is beyond me."

 _ **Three Months Later**_

Naruto grunted as he hit the ground hard. With a groan of effort, he pushed himself to his feet, only to have to dodge to the side a second later as his assailant leaped upon him once again, refusing to give him any time to relax and recover. Quickly spinning around to face his opponent, Naruto threw a straight punch at her, only to have it blocked. Before he could continue with his attack, the young ninja had to duck under a high kick and performed a back flip to escape her attempted grapple.

Now that he had some distance, Naruto took some time to look over his opponent in this match and assess her. _Damn it she's tough. Even after all the times we've sparred so far, I still can't win! If I was only allowed to use something more than my taijutsu alone I'd be good, but nooooo!_ Realizing he was getting off topic, the blue-eyed blonde shook his head to clear it and began to try and focus on his assessment again. _Okay, Yang's tough, like_ really _tough. She hits so much harder than Sakura_ ever _did, and she's fast too._

Hopping backwards as Yang dashed at him, throwing punch after punch, each of which he narrowly dodged, Naruto continued his assessment while he moved on instinct. _Yang's flexible and has what_ appears _to be a brawler's fighting style, similar to what I used before, but it's not, at least not entirely. She's refined her style until she's become something so fierce that she can take on practically any opponent in a straight-on taijutsu battle. I'm just glad she isn't using Ember Celica anymore, or I'd be screwed._ Remembering back to their first spar, Naruto shuddered. He did **not** want to relive that experience.

 _ **Flashback**_

It had been a month since the group had incorporated the duo from Remnant into their midst, and quite the month it had been. For starters, after witnessing the mass amount of clones Naruto was able to make, the two of them were absolutely _stunned_. Blake admitted to herself and to Yang that she wished she could make that many, as it would certainly prove useful in the field of combat. In response to this, Yang also admitted to wishing Blake could make a larger number of solid clones like that, if only to increase the fun of their activities behind closed doors. Naturally, this brought quite the enormous blush to the Faunus' face and caused her to punch her girlfriend in the arm for saying something like that in the presence of their current company, _especially_ Jiraiya.

They watched as Naruto's hundreds of clones each separated to go and work on their own projects, each with their own teachers, or going off in groups by themselves to work on something else. Meanwhile, the original stuck with Jiraiya as they began a taijutsu-only spar.

As they watched, the both of them noticed something that seemed to stand out more than anything. Turning to her black-haired girlfriend, Yang decided to voice her observation. "Is it just me, or are his hand-to-hand combat skills really lacking?"

Shaking her head in the negative, Blake responded with an affirmative to her beloved. "I noticed the same thing Sweetheart. He's overextending his punches and kicks, he's taking unnecessary risks that leave him wide open to counterattacks, and he's throwing all of his strength into each of his attacks, which really takes away from his speed. It looks like Jiraiya's attempting to correct these flaws, but from the looks of it, it's not going too well. I think it might be a good idea to have him spar with you instead, Yang."

Agreeing with this assessment, the two of them approached the male duo and interrupted their spar. "Master Jiraiya, Naruto, can we speak with the both of you for a moment? We've noticed some things that we'd like to speak with you two about, as well as offer up an idea that might actually benefit Naruto in his training more than what you're attempting to do right now." Blake stated, hoping that they weren't being too rude by interrupting the two of them in the middle of such important training. However, she truly felt that this was important and that her girlfriend would be the perfect person to correct Naruto's hand-to-hand issues.

Curious to know what kind of help the two of them could offer, Jiraiya nodded in response and offered up a smile to assuage Blake's fears. Motioning for each of them to take a seat, he sat down cross-legged on the ground as each of them did the same. "Sure, we'll listen to what you two have to say. If you think you can offer up some help to my knuckleheaded charge here, I'm more than willing to listen, and I'm sure he is as well. Aren't you brat?" Jiraiya queried jokingly.

Sighing at this, Naruto nodded his head and turned to the girls, honestly curious to see what they had in mind. Any help he could get with his training, he was honestly willing to accept at this point. After all, he _needed_ to get stronger so he could better protect not just himself, but his loved ones as well. "Yeah, I am. If you two feel like you can help me in my training somehow, I'm willing to hear you out."

Deciding that it was probably best to just be blunt, Yang spoke up before Blake could. "We both noticed some things about your hand-to-hand combat style Naruto that trouble us. You have so many problems it's amazing you even function at all. I bet that you've probably only won in any hand-to-hand fights in the past because you can overwhelm your opponents with a large number of clones, am I right?"

Seeing as Naruto was about to shout out from a mixture of frustration and anger, Jiraiya shot him a glare that told him to be quiet and _listen_. So, reluctantly, Naruto did just that and motioned for Yang to go on.

Nodding her head in appreciation towards Jiraiya, the busty blonde continued. "You don't know how to throw a proper punch or a kick. You overextend yourself and leave yourself wide open to counterattacks from your enemies. When you throw a punch, it's obvious that you put all your power behind it, which takes away from your speed. You also happen to take unnecessary risks in your efforts to hit your opponent, which, if and when they fail, also leave you wide open for counterattacks. You also lack any proper form, which is okay, but it would help if you had some kind of base form to build off of. You need to learn how to fight smart instead of just doing whatever and hoping you hit, Naruto. I'm not saying to ignore your instincts, as trusting them in a fight is a good thing, but at the same time, if you don't use your head in a fight, you're not going to last very long."

At hearing all of his faults laid bare for him like this, Naruto could only grit his teeth in frustration as he clenched his fists tightly. He was angry, but not at Yang, Blake, or even Jiraiya for forcing him to listen until the end. No, he was angry at the situation itself, at being stuck like this. He **knew** why he was like this, but it hurt him to even think about why he was in this situation to begin with. Naruto didn't want to remember the past and how much it hurt, but Yang's next comment brought it all to the boiling point.

"Naruto, it's almost like you were never taught how to throw a proper punch. I heard from Jiraiya before about that ninja academy, and I'm sure they took the time to teach students how to fight, so why the heck didn't you pay attention in class? Surely you would have been better if you had only paid attention to the teachers' instructions." She commented, unaware that her comments had finally pushed Naruto too far.

With a growl, Naruto rose to his feet and snapped at Yang angrily. "Nobody **wanted** to teach me! I was the fucking pariah in my village! I've always been hated and unwanted by everybody Kami damn it! Whenever I tried to learn anything, whenever I asked a question, I'd always get in trouble! They loved watching me get beat down in the most humiliating ways possible during spars in the academy! I only got to pass because Iruka-sensei was kind and did what he could to help me. He…he…" Stopping momentarily to wipe at his eyes in an attempt to stave off the tears he could feel stinging at his eyes, Naruto continued on. "Iruka-sensei could only do so much because of the years of sabotage throughout the academy. Even then, I had already given up on trying to learn much of anything and skipped half the damn classes like a damned idiot, despite the fact I finally, _finally_ had a teacher willing to help me! So don't act like you know what I went through damn it! You don't know _anything_!"

Breathing heavily, Naruto tried to calm himself down, but he was still so angry at everything and he wanted to hit something **badly**. Sensing this, Yang rose to her feet and walked away from the group of three. "Naruto, let's have a friendly spar. I think you could use a spar to help you calm down. From now on, I'll be your sparring partner until you can finally beat me, and _then_ you can resume sparring with Master Jiraiya. Before we begin though, I apologize for making assumptions like that. Can you forgive me?"

Smiling a bit, the blond ninja nodded his head before preparing himself for combat once again. "Yeah Yang, I forgive you. It wasn't like you could've known. Thank you by the way, nobody's ever taken the time to point out my flaws like that before. If you can help me fix them, I'm more than willing to accept your help."

With that, the two of them bowed to each other before the spar began with a signal from Blake. It didn't take long for the long-haired blond to put Naruto on the defensive, nor did it take long for the fight to end as she ended up firing off a shot from her Ember Celica after nailing Naruto in the chest with a rather powerful right hook. What she didn't expect, however, was for a large amount of blood to splash on her face and chest and for Naruto to collapse backwards, hitting the ground with a thud.

Staring down at the fallen ninja with wide, unfocused eyes, Yang felt a sense of dread wash through her. She couldn't believe what she had just done. She was so used to the spars back at Beacon Academy that she forgot that the people of this world didn't have aura to protect them! Now Naruto was on the ground bleeding out, probably already on death's door! It was all because of her! It was all her fault!

Naruto was vaguely aware of Meru rushing over and forcing a transformation into her Dragoon state to heal him. He couldn't hear anything, nor could he feel anything. The young Uzumaki male could taste blood and he was sure that it was trickling down from the corner of his lips while Meru was patching him up. Glancing around, Naruto could see Blake and Rikku shouting at Yang, who appeared to be frozen where she stood. He had no idea what they were saying, but it didn't matter to him at this moment. Looking to his side, he could see Jiraiya trying to speak to him, but again, he simply couldn't hear anything. At the moment he just felt so tired. So very, very tired.

However, he was starting to feel something: a warmth was flooding through him and he was starting to regain feeling throughout his body. He still couldn't hear anything besides this horrible ringing noise, but he was glad that he was starting to feel something again. That cold feeling wasn't pleasant and he was sure that if it had continued, he would have likely dozed off and never woken up again.

Meanwhile, Yang was finally snapped out of her frozen stupor when Blake slapped her cheek hard. "Finally! Yang, I don't know what you were thinking, but you almost killed him! They don't have aura here, I can't believe you could be so reckless! I understand you're used to the spars back at Beacon, but you **need** to be more careful from now on! From now on, if we're even allowed to stay with them after this, you aren't allowed to use Ember Celica during your spars! Do you understand me?!"

At this, the busty young woman could only nod in response before wrapping her girlfriend up in a tight hug. Tears soon began to fall from her eyes as she shut them tight and began to sob. "I didn't mean to hurt him. I wasn't trying to kill him…I…I…" As she tried to stammer out her thoughts, Blake shushed her and just gently stroked her hair in an effort to calm her girlfriend down. It would take some time, but they'd all get through this and become all the stronger for it.

 _ **Flashback End**_

For almost an entire month, they hadn't had another spar. Instead, Yang spent time instructing him on how to throw proper punches and kicks, as well as trying to show him how her style of fighting worked so he at least had some type of base to work from. Sure enough, Naruto forgave Yang easily enough after just a couple of days, which really caught the young woman by surprise. When he did forgive her, Miss Xiao Long hugged him tight and thanked him profusely for forgiving her after what she had done.

Now, however, Naruto had to focus on his current spar with the lovely young woman. Ducking underneath a powerful left hook, Naruto tried a sweep kick, only for Yang to perform a flip kick and send Naruto flying through the air again before crashing hard onto his back once again. Groaning in pain, he raised up a hand and shouted out: "I give! I give already damn it! I'm not sure how much more of this I can take! I'm honestly exhausted!"

After the both of them chuckled for a bit at his forfeiture, Yang helped Naruto to his feet before they began walking back towards the others. Upon arriving where the others were, the two of them could see Blake fidgeting a bit while trying to avoid locking eyes with Naruto. Curious about this, Naruto walked over to her and placed a gentle hand upon her shoulder. "Blake-chan? Is everything alright?"

Sighing heavily, Blake decided it was time to get this over with and be honest with him about what she was. So, rising to her feet, the cat Faunus grabbed Naruto's hand and hurriedly dragged him off so that the two of them could be alone, out of earshot of the others.

Once Blake felt they were far enough away from everyone and they were in a private enough spot, the black-themed girl turned around and stared deep into Naruto's eyes. "Naruto, you were honest with Yang and I about your past and what you hold. That couldn't have been easy, and it sounded to me like you've been through a **lot** of discrimination, abuse, and neglect. You got the short end of the stick, and it isn't right. Well...there's something I've wanted to tell you for a while now, but I was afraid of how you'd react. But I trust you and I wanted to show you. So…here."

Reaching up, Blake untied her bow and freed her cat ears before lowering her hands again, clutching her bow tightly in her hands. "I'm…I'm something called a Faunus in Remnant. We're pretty much the same as Humans except for an extra animal feature. I happen to have cat ears." The lovely young woman clenched her eyes shut tight as she waited for Naruto to call her a freak and storm off.

What happened instead was Naruto reaching up and gently petting her ears with both of his hands. This action caused Blake to blush a brilliant shade of red as she began to purr in contentment from his actions. After a moment, Naruto pulled back and began to chuckle. "You really thought I was going to think any differently of you Blake-chan? If anything, I think you're more beautiful with the extra features. You're an amazing person, and I bet those come in real handy sometimes, huh?"

If possible, Blake blushed even deeper than before and could only nod meekly in response. With a grin, Naruto spoke up once more. "You should leave your bow off from now on Blake-chan. You look much better without it on, and I'm sure it can't be comfortable having that bow on all the time." Seeing her shaking her head in the negative, Naruto frowned as he couldn't quite tell if she was refusing him or if she was agreeing that it was uncomfortable.

"Blake, if you're scared, you should know that none of us will think differently of you. As for what anyone else might think of you, I think you should know something about this world. Here, we don't discriminate people for being different. If anything, people would just assume you have some kind of kekkei genkai or something and that's what gave you your extra features. Nobody would give you a hassle for having cat ears and you'd be quite welcome amongst the citizens and ninja of Konoha, I can practically guarantee it. I know Granny Tsunade would love to have you with us."

Blinking in shock at how sure Naruto sounded about all of this, the Faunus girl glanced down at the bow in her hands and decided to try and trust in his words, at least for now. So, tucking the ribbon away, Blake smiled at Naruto and leaned in close to place a soft kiss upon his cheek. "Thank you Naruto. I'm glad I told you." And with that, she took his hand in hers and walked with him back to the others. The entire walk back, Naruto couldn't help but think about the kiss Blake had placed upon his cheek and how good it felt to receive such an intimate gesture from a girl.

* * *

 **A/N - Okay, hope you guys enjoyed chapter 2. As you can see, I brought in Yang & Blake. I had already planned to do so, so if you were hoping for them, yay! lol.**

 **Anyways, I'll be putting information on this fic up on my profile shortly for those of you interested in seeing some extra info on the fic. It won't be much and there won't be any spoilers, but it might be kinda helpful. *shrugs***

 **Finally, I'll be working on a new chapter for Naruto: Mercy of the Shinigami next, so if you've been waiting for that, I'm sure you're probably pretty happy to hear that that's what's up next. :)**

 **I honestly can't think of anything else to say, so I hope you're all doing well and I hope you will continue to be patient with me as I continue to work on future chapters for my fics. Thank you.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Return to Konoha**

Naruto couldn't help but smile as he stared into the distance at his home village of Konohagakure. It had been exactly three years since he had last stepped foot in the village, and he was looking forward to going home. Well, for the most part he was. Another part of him was feeling apprehensive about going home due to the fact that he was smarter now and he knew that as soon as he returned, he'd be going right back to the looks of hatred, the abuse of his female teammate, and the laziness of his jonin sensei, Kakashi Hatake. There were numerous things he was just **not** looking forward to about his return, just as there were things he was happily looking forward to.

With a light sigh, Naruto looked around at all of his companions: Rikku, Meru, Yang, Blake, Towa, and Jiraiya. Smiling at each of them, Naruto couldn't help but think about the last year they had spent together. An entire year had been spent on Mount Myoboku with each of them training in something different. An entire year had passed, and each of them was so much stronger than they were before they had visited the sacred mountain of the Toad summons.

Naruto had learned how to enter Sage mode, but that had only taken him a month to master. The rest of the time on Mount Myoboku was spent furthering his mastery of Sage mode so he could enter it at a quicker pace. Aside from that training, he also continued to train in his taijutsu, ninjutsu, magic, and even learning how to break out of and sense genjutsu. By now, he was a damn powerhouse and was even considered a one-man army of sorts.

Rikku had learned how to use black magic and gun magic to mimic some of the jutsu used by Naruto and Jiraiya. She had also improved upon her dresspheres, learning abilities that she didn't know they had before. Originally, she had mastered each of her dresspheres during her journey across Spira, but after coming to this world, she had discovered so much more was available to her. Aside from that, she had been improving her speed and _especially_ her strength. She didn't want to feel weak compared to the others, and so she was now able to cut through stone and even steel with her weapons, even in her standard Thief dressphere.

Meru had continued to practice with her Wingly magic in an attempt to further her mastery of her people's magic. After all, she had gone so long in her world without using that magic that she wanted to get used to it once again. But more than that, she practiced transforming into a Dragoon _outside_ of battle. Now Meru could transform out of battle and maintain her transformation for days if need be. It was now pretty much second nature to her. On top of that, she had even begun learning new Dragoon magic spells that weren't available to her before. Finally, Meru had even begun to learn new Additions with the help of Naruto and Jiraiya.

Towa had been training extensively with all of her magic, _especially_ her time magic. Originally she only had three time magic spells available to her, but now she had a wide variety of time spells that she had access to and would gladly use to keep her loved ones safe. She had also learned many new elemental magic spells and had even practiced mixing them together to perform Chemistry magic as she did during her journey with Toki and Zack. Now she was able to flawlessly and quickly perform Chemistry magic within seconds rather than having to take the time to charge up her spells beforehand.

Blake and Yang had begun studying under Jiraiya in the art of ninjutsu. While they didn't have a chakra network, they believed that, with plenty of practice, they could manipulate their Aura in a way that would allow them to use jutsu, albeit weaker versions of it, against their enemies. While it wasn't exactly the same, they did eventually learn how to do this, and it was made easier with the use of fuinjutsu.

Jiraiya and Naruto had devised a seal by working together to convert Aura to Chakra to allow both Blake and Yang to utilize jutsu. These seals were place on the palms of the girls' hands. After these seals were placed successfully, Yang and Blake had been taught the various hand seals required to utilize jutsu and had begun to learn a variety of jutsu courtesy of all the scrolls Naruto had been studying from. As of this moment, they had each learned a number of jutsu, but they couldn't use anywhere near the amount that Naruto and Jiraiya could.

Yang and Blake had also been studying hand-to-hand combat under Jiraiya because he was so much more experienced than they were. While Blake was proficient in using her weapon, she didn't feel as confident in basic taijutsu combat without her Gambol Shroud. Yang, on the other hand, felt that she could truly benefit from learning under Master Jiraiya, and so was glad to just study under such an experienced master.

Finally came Jiraiya. Jiraiya, despite already being an incredibly talented shinobi, knew that his Sage mode wasn't perfect. Seeing his godson learn and master Sage mode as easily and quickly as he had sparked something in the older male. As a result of this, Jiraiya resumed his studies under Master Fukusaku and proceeded to spend the year mastering his Sage mode. It took almost seven months, but Jiraiya was now as proficient in Sage mode as his godson was and he was only going to continue improving upon it. Still, he would continue to call upon Fukusaku and Shima to assist him when in battle.

At the moment however, Naruto couldn't help but think about one moment in particular that brought a bright smile to his face. Looking into Rikku's face, he reached out to her and gently took her hand in his. Giving it a gentle squeeze, he looked into her eyes and blushed a bit. "Rikku-chan…I really hope you like it in Konoha."

"I'm sure I will sweetheart. But if anyone dares to try anything, we're pranking the hell out of them. Got it?" Rikku said with a smirk stretching at her lips. She leaned into her boyfriend of six months and kissed his cheek as they both reminisced about the day they became a couple.

 _ **Flashback**_

Rikku couldn't help but frown as she sat curled up on a rather large tree branch on Mount Myoboku. She was lost in her memories of her past in Spira and wanted to be left alone at the moment. However, it just wasn't meant to be.

It was currently the dead of night and most of the group were sleeping out under the stars. Somebody, however, had seen Rikku leaving the group to wander off on her own. Concerned about her, this person had followed after her and had been watching her for some time now. When tears began to roll down her cheeks, this person made their presence known.

Walking over to her, Naruto placed his hand upon her shoulder, causing her to jump and scream _loudly_ in fright. Chuckling softly, Naruto apologized a few times before sitting down beside her on the tree branch. "Rikku-chan? I couldn't help but notice you were crying. What's wrong? Were you thinking about your friends?"

Pouting for a moment, Rikku leaned back against the tree and thought about what she could say. On one hand, she could deny it and close herself off. On the other, she could come clean and tell Naruto the truth. _It might help to get it all off my chest._ With a shrug of her shoulders, Rikku sighed and nodded her head.

"Yep. I was just thinking about Yunie and Tidus. I've already told you before that I loved Tidus and was jealous of Yunie. I also told you about how that makes me feel guilty. Well, I didn't tell you that Yunie's my cousin. I travelled with them and a bunch of other people. We saved our world from Sin and then from Shuyin and Vegnagun. Our journey was fun, but at the same time it was sad, and so many other things. I just…I miss everyone, y'know? I feel like I need to apologize to Yunie, even though she didn't know about my feelings and I didn't ever tell Tidus about how I felt. It's all so confusing."

Naruto couldn't help but notice that Rikku kept talking in the past tense when she was referring to her feelings for Tidus. As she rambled on, he reached over and placed a hand gently upon her shoulder. "Rikku-chan, I can't help but notice that you're talking about your feelings for Tidus in the past-tense. That signifies to me that you've had enough time to get over him. That's a good thing. You can move on from him and be happy with somebody new, somebody that can make you just as happy as your cousin Yunie is. You **deserve** to be happy Rikku-chan."

Turning her head to look into Naruto's eyes, Rikku reached up and wiped at her tears. "What do you mean Naruto? I feel like such a horrible person for having feelings for the same guy Yunie loves. Or at least…I did. I'm not so sure anymore."

Shaking his head, Naruto wrapped an arm around Rikku and hugged her close to him. "It's okay. You can't control how you feel about someone Rikku. What's important is that you've moved on from him. If it helps…how about I tell you about my unrequited love, hm?"

Blinking in shock at this, Rikku turned her head slightly to look up into her blonde friend's eyes. "You have an unrequited love as well? Tell me! How did you get over her?!"

Chuckling a bit, Naruto shook his head and stared up into the night sky. "Damn that's a beautiful sight." Naruto muttered aloud and directed his dear friend's sight upwards. When she looked up, Rikku couldn't help but nod her head in agreement before she remembered what Naruto said and smacked his chest.

"Don't change the subject! Tell me you meanie!" She shouted at him. When he simply smirked at her, Rikku couldn't help but giggle a bit in response. "Please?"

"Sure Rikku-chan, no problem." Naruto said with a broad smile on his face. Before he could stop himself, the blonde male placed a gentle kiss on Rikku's forehead. Upon realizing what he did, both teens blushed brightly and quickly glanced away from one another.

In an effort to calm down their hormones, Naruto decided to begin his tale. "Umm, anyways." Coughing to regain his composure, he continued on. "There's this girl named Sakura Haruno back in Konoha. I…well…for the longest damn time I had this crush on her. I've tried to be nice to her and help raise her self-esteem. She used to be picked on for her large forehead, but I think it's a beautiful feature of hers, y'know?" Seeing his friend nod in understanding, Naruto smiled at her.

"Anyways, as I said, I thought she was a beautiful girl, both inside and out. But…she would never notice me." Sighing sadly to himself, Naruto resumed staring at the stars in the sky. "She, like so many other girls in the village, became fixated on that asshole Sasuke Uchiha."

Rikku's eyes widened at this and she looked up into her friend's eyes. "Wait, isn't that the guy that you promised to bring back to the village? The one we had to convince you was beyond salvation?" She asked just to make sure she had it right.

Nodding his head, Naruto looked back into Rikku's eyes, a sad expression on his face. "Yep. It…sucks. Sakura used to be a nice girl before she joined the ranks of the fan girls. Whenever I asked her out or just tried to talk to her or get her attention…or _anything_ really…she'd beat me up. I mean that literally by the way, she'd beat me up pretty severely sometimes. And yet I was so stupid I didn't give up. I thought I loved her. I just wanted to make her happy. That's all I wanted. But…"

Rikku frowned at this and hugged Naruto tightly as he appeared to be becoming more depressed by the minute. "It's okay. You don't have to say anymore."

Shaking his head, Naruto smiled as he stared into the sky again. "No…it's best that I get this off of my chest." Taking a deep breath in and letting it out slowly, Naruto continued on again. "We were put on a team together with Sasuke. Our sensei was a lazy jackass that didn't bother teaching us much of anything besides teamwork exercises that did NOTHING to improve our teamwork and the tree-climbing chakra control exercise. That's all he taught Sakura and me. Meanwhile he taught Sasuke more than either of us. But that's not the point of this story."

Taking another deep breath, Naruto took a moment to look at Rikku and smiled sadly. "She continued her cycle of abuse while on the team. And I still didn't learn my damn lesson. Fast forward a number of months and we get to the Chunin Exams. We encountered Orochimaru in the Forest of Death and he gave Sasuke his curse seal. Even then, even with Sasuke becoming darker than ever before, Sakura was still all over him and I was never in her mind."

Looking down at his hands, Naruto sighed sadly. "During the invasion, I saved Sakura from Gaara when Sasuke couldn't do anything. I fought so hard to save her life and protect the village from a rampaging jinchuriki…and even then her feelings towards me didn't change. It was always, _always_ Sasuke. And then…then came the Sasuke Retrieval mission. Sakura…" Feeling tears stinging at his eyes, Naruto hugged Rikku closer as he began to sob. "It hurts to even think about it. She made me promise to bring Sasuke back to her no matter what. Sasuke left of his own free will, and we were ordered to bring him back, pretty much alive or dead…but I made that stupid fucking promise to bring him back to her because I couldn't bear to see her so sad. Because I thought I **loved** her."

Rikku frowned at this and reached up to gently wipe away her good friend's tears. "Naruto…why didn't you ever tell us that _that's_ why you made such a stupid promise? You should have opened up to all of us sooner. It's been tearing you up inside all this time!"

Chuckling bitterly to himself, Naruto shook his head and clenched his eyelids shut. "I feel so stupid Rikku-chan. I didn't want to admit it out loud that what I thought was love was just me being a dumb, stupid little moron. I…I didn't know what love was before. Nobody…ever wanted to teach me. I was emotionally, mentally, and physically stunted in that village. I can't believe it took me so long to see it."

Frowning at what she just heard, Rikku resumed wiping away Naruto's tears and kissed his cheek. "Naruto, please…talk to me. What's wrong? And…what do you mean you didn't know what it was before?"

Laughing softly to himself, Naruto shook his head and looked his dear friend in the eyes. "Rikku-chan…I understood familial love well enough, but not _romantic_ love. But…I do think I've come to understand that feeling now. When I'm around a certain someone these days, I can't help but feel these butterflies in my stomach. I feel warm and happy when I see her smiling, and it hurts when she's sad. All I want to do is make her smile, and when it feels like I can't, it tears me up inside. It's nothing like that stupid crush I had on Sakura before. This? This I **know** is love."

Smiling happily at this, Rikku felt herself getting all giddy and bubbly at the thought of her friend being in love with somebody in their group. So, feeling naturally curious about who he might have feelings for, she decided to probe him for an answer. "Ooooh! Who? Who's the lucky girl, big guy? You should definitely tell her! I bet she'll be one happy camper when she finds out that you've fallen for her! You're a really great guy!"

Chuckling at this, Naruto quirked a brow and looked into Rikku's eyes. Rather than just flat out telling her how he felt, the spiky-haired individual leaned in and captured her lips with his own. Caught off guard, the bubbly thief's eyes widened significantly before she found herself closing them and returning Naruto's kiss.

As the thief wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck, she couldn't help but blush deeply as his hands found their way to her waist. She was lifted off of the tree branch and plopped into his lap as they began to probe each other's mouths with their tongues. When they finally broke apart, a small string of saliva connecting them, they both couldn't help but muttering a single word, "Wow."

When they both started giggling, they hugged each other close and kissed each other's cheeks. "Rikku…I love _you_. I want to make you happy. I like seeing you smile and whenever you're sad, it hurts me inside. I…I really want to be with you. So…will you let me be your boyfriend?"

Blushing fiercely, Rikku looked down at her lap and began to poke her index and middle fingers together nervously. "I-I've never had a boyfriend before. I didn't think I'd find myself falling for anyone again after Tidus, but then…then I met _you_ Naruto. I…I think I'm falling for you too. So…yes. I'd love to have you as my boyfriend."

Cheering excitedly, Naruto hugged Rikku close again and, before they could stop themselves, they found themselves kissing each other passionately once more. Naruto's hands ran up and down his new girlfriend's sides while hers dug into Naruto's hair. The two of them just couldn't get enough of the kisses and didn't want to part from one another right now!

Down below, a certain white-haired pervert couldn't help but smile as he watched the two of them. _Way to go you two. I'm happy you two have found each other like this. Be happy my precious godson._

 _ **Flashback End**_

Chuckling a bit, Naruto nodded his head. "Yeah. I won't let anyone come between us Rikku-chan. If anyone dares to try and tell us that we don't belong together or tries to split us apart, we're going to make them suffer. If they thought my pranks were bad before, they're going to regret pissing us off for sure this time." Smirking evilly, the two of them began to chuckle darkly together while the others around them giggled a bit before piping up and saying that they'd help.

Jiraiya decided to interrupt their little moment together though. "Sorry to interrupt you two, but we should probably get going now. We've put this off long enough. Tsunade-hime's waiting for us and it wouldn't be wise to keep her waiting for too long. We are expected back _today_ after all." He explained in an attempt to spur the group onwards.

Sighing softly, Naruto nodded and looked back towards the village. "Yeah, I know. I'm just not looking forward to going back to that same team with Sakura and Kakashi. I'd rather form a new team with Rikku-chan and my new friends here. Do you think Granny Tsunade would agree to something like that Jiraiya-sensei?" He asked.

Walking over to his godson/apprentice, the white-haired male placed a firm, yet gentle hand upon his shoulder and smiled at him. "Naruto, I'm sure if we sit down and explain things to her that she'll be willing to put together a new team for you. You would still need a jonin to join you, but I think forming a team with these girls is completely doable. Right now, let's just focus on getting back to the village and seeing Tsu-hime, okay?" Receiving a simple nod in return, Jiraiya smiled at his godson and walked ahead of him a bit. "Good. Now let's get going everybody. We're almost there and I'm looking forward to enjoying a good meal for a change rather than whatever we could scrounge together on Mount Myoboku before!" And with that being said, Jiraiya turned again and began walking once more in the direction of Konohagakure.

Naruto couldn't help but smile and look at the girls with him. "Well, you heard him girls. Let's get going! I sure hope I can convince her to put us all together on a team. I like you girls a lot more than I do my old team, and we've already proven we can work well together. I think if we can prove that to Tsunade-sama, we might get our wish granted. So let's get going. I want to show all of you my favorite places to visit in Konoha and introduce you to my friends!" And with that, Naruto, too, turned and began walking in the direction of his home village.

 _ **Konoha – Half an hour later**_

Upon reaching the village and checking in at the gate with the Eternal Chunin duo, Izumo and Kotetsu, Naruto and the gang began their trek through the streets of Konoha. They were making their way to the Hokage Tower, occasionally stopping to take in the sights. At the moment they were stopped outside of a store in the market district, looking towards the Hokage Monument. "Well wouldja look at that? They finally added Tsunade's face to the mountain Jiraiya-sensei!" Naruto shouted out with a bright grin on his face.

Smiling at his godson, Jiraiya nodded his head and looked back at the Hokage Monument as well. "I have to say, seeing her face up there just looks _right_. Doesn't it Naruto?"

"Damn right it does! She's the Godaime and she's a damn good Hokage too. I'm glad they added her face to the monument." Changing his gaze from the monument to the Hokage tower, Naruto's smile softened and he nodded his head. "I can't wait to see her again Jiraiya. I've missed her and Shizune both."

"I know what you mean Naruto. I know exactly what you mean." Jiraiya replied with a soft smile on his face. With a shrug of his shoulders, Jiraiya was about to continue leading them on when the group heard a female voice cry out: "Naruto!" from behind them. Turning around, they spied a pink-haired young woman come running up to them. Frowning just slightly, Jiraiya looked to his godson and wondered how he would handle seeing his old crush once again.

As soon as Sakura reached Naruto, she smiled at him and threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. Blinking in confusion at this, Naruto hesitantly hugged her back and patted her back a few times before he stepped back away from her. "S-Sakura? You okay? You _never_ hug me."

Sakura couldn't help but notice the lack of the –chan suffix. Shaking it off, she smiled up at the now much taller man and took one of his hands in hers. "I'm just so happy to see you again! I've missed you a lot Naruto. It's good to have you back after all this time."

Glancing at his girlfriend, Naruto frowned a bit before looking around at the other girls in his party, each of them sporting confused frowns as well. Looking back into his old teammate's eyes, Naruto gently pried his hand from hers and forced a smile for her. "It's good to see you again as well Sakura. Listen, I'd love to stay and chat, but Tsunade-sama's kind of expecting to see us. Perhaps we could catch up later?"

Frowning in confusion at Naruto's attempted dismissal of her, Sakura shook her head and decided to try a different approach. "Let me walk with you. I need to see her anyways. Besides, this way I can fill you in on what's been going on since you've been away. Plus, you can introduce me to your new friends. I'd love to get to know them, especially if they're friends of yours Naruto."

Off to the side, Rikku was clenching one of her fists angrily. _Could this girl_ be _any more transparent?! I thought Naruto said she was interested in that stupid Uchiha jerk! Now she's making moves on_ my man _?! I'll slice this bitch into pieces if she keeps this up!_

Prying his arm free from Sakura's clutches, Naruto sweatdropped at the pinkette's behavior and finally just decided to ask her what she was doing. "Sakura, what's gotten into you? I thought you were in love with Sasuke. Now you're acting like this and being, well…'clingy' with me. What's going on?"

Pouting at this, Sakura looked into her teammate's eyes and spoke. "Naruto-kun, I've had three whole years to work out my feelings. During those three years, Tsunade-sama helped me come to terms with some things as well. She helped me realize that you were always there for me and that Sasuke really wasn't worth my attention. That promise I had you make? It's not worth it. I don't want to lose you because of some stupid promise to bring back a traitor that wants nothing to do with any of us. I missed you so much more than I thought I would Naruto-kun. Your smile brightened my day far more than I thought it did. Do you understand?"

Sighing softly, Naruto reached out and gently patted Sakura's shoulder. Smiling at her, he wrapped her in a hug and patted her back gently. "Sakura, while I'm happy you've matured and grown into a beautiful young woman…I can't return those feelings. Not anymore. I've…had time to get over you. I had time to come to terms with a lot of things and I realized during my time away that I'd never be to you what Sasuke was. I'm glad to know that you've gotten over him, but…"

Sighing again, Naruto released Sakura and walked over to Rikku. Looking into his girlfriend's eyes, the blonde ninja wrapped her up in a warm embrace and kissed her sweetly on the lips. After a moment of this, he turned and looked into Sakura's eyes. "I've got a girlfriend now Sakura. I'm sorry. I really, truly am very sorry. But it's too late." And with that being said, Naruto took hold of his girlfriend's hand and walked off with her and the others, leaving Sakura standing there, stunned, in the middle of the street.

As soon as Naruto's group had disappeared into the distance, Sakura fell to her knees and stared in the direction they had left in with tears falling down her cheeks. "N-No…Naruto-kun…no…" Bringing her hands to her face, the pinkette began to sob and break down while wondering why she couldn't have seen the truth sooner.

 _ **Hokage's Office**_

Tsunade couldn't help but raise a brow in question as she stared at the large group that had entered her office. Jiraiya and Naruto she had expected, but the five young women that had entered with them? Nope, they were _completely_ unexpected. So, turning her gaze on Jiraiya, she voiced a question. "You've turned my godson into a pervert, haven't you? He's built himself a harem, hasn't he?"

Blushing ferociously at this, Naruto shouted, "What the hell Granny?! I'm not a pervert and I haven't built a harem! Just…just let us explain, alright? I promise that it'll make sense once you hear us out."

"Well, I sure as heck hope so. I wasn't expecting you to walk in here followed by five beautiful young women." Tsunade retorted with an amused smile on her face.

Jiraiya chuckled a bit and shook his head in exasperation. "Our godson has the ability to use something called magic. The Kyuubi knows how this is possible, but he hasn't exactly been forthcoming with the information. We're hoping that Naruto will be able to befriend the Kyuubi at some point to earn some answers, but that's a slow-going process right now."

With a shrug of his shoulders, Naruto continued from where his godfather left off. "Anyways, the reason all these lovely ladies are here is because of my magic. My time/space magic is powerful enough to open portals to other worlds and dimensions and suck people through them into our world. Girls, can you please introduce yourselves?"

Rikku smiled and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's right arm before sending a wink at the older woman. "My name is Rikku. I'm from a world called Spira. Nice to meetcha Lady Tsunade! I'm your godson's girlfriend going on six months now!"

Meru giggled a bit before raising her hand and waving at the woman. "I'm Meru. I'm from a world full of magical creatures. Dragons, Dragoons, Winglies, Gigantos, etc. I, myself, am the Dragoon of Water and I happen to be a Wingly." At this, she showed her wings to the busty Godaime Hokage and hovered off of the ground.

Towa nodded her head to the Godaime at this point and introduced herself. "My name is Towa. I'm an ex-princess. My world was a fairly peaceful place except for the occasional bandit, a bitch time goddess, and a bunch of monsters that really weren't much of a threat. I'm Naruto's time/space magic instructor."

Yang and Blake waved at this point before Yang piped up. "Heya! I'm Yang and this is Blake. We're from a world called Remnant. Pretty good place overall except for a bunch of creatures called Grimm and the occasional terrorist. I guess the thing that makes us most different from your people is the fact that we have Aura while your people have Chakra. Also, Blake and I are girlfriends. Awesome, huh?"

"Yang! Why do you feel the need to tell everybody that?!" Blake shouted out with a deep blush on her face. She couldn't help but blush whenever Yang decided to point out that little fact to complete strangers. The cat Faunus loved her girlfriend, she truly did, but sometimes she wanted to throttle the brawler.

Blinking in shock and confusion from all the information, even the unnecessary bit at the end, Tsunade looked to Jiraiya for confirmation that everything she had just heard was, indeed, true. Receiving a nod in response, the blonde, busty Hokage reached into one of her desk drawers and pulled out a sake dish and a rather large bottle of sake and poured herself a drink. Downing it almost immediately, she released a sigh and began to chuckle. "Only you Naruto. Only you."

"Hey! It's not like it's intentional! All three times I created portals it was by accident. The first time was when I went into my four-tailed state and attacked Jiraiya-sensei. That was when Rikku and Meru were pulled from their worlds. Then came Towa. That was when Jiraiya-sensei told me about my parents and about me coming from a clan. Speaking of which, I want my inheritance Granny! But anyways, the third and final time was because I was trying to get the hang of my time/space magic and accidentally created another portal. That time both Yang and Blake were pulled through. So you see? It was all accidental and because of my poor control over my magic and my emotions." Naruto stated in defense of himself.

Shaking her head, Tsunade looked from her godson to his girlfriend. "So, you're my godson's girlfriend are you? I'd like to spend some time getting to know you later when I'm off work if that's alright with you?" Receiving a bright smile and a nod in response, Tsunade grinned in turn and nodded as well. "Good. Just know that I'm happy you've found each other. I want you happy Naruto. You really do deserve all the best this world has to offer you. Kami knows your life hasn't been the greatest in this village."

Shaking her head again to rid herself of the negative thoughts, the Godaime Hokage looked back into her godson's eyes. "Anyways, you wanted me to give you your inheritance, correct?" Receiving a nod in response to this query, Tsunade nodded and rose from her chair. Walking over to the Yondaime's portrait on the wall, the blonde Godaime removed it and motioned Naruto over to her. Pointing at the seal on the wall, she smiled at him. "Just wipe some blood on the seal and the contents should come right on out."

Doing as he was instructed, Naruto bit his thumb and swiped his bloody digit across the seal. When four scrolls popped out and landed in his hands, he smiled and looked into Tsunade's eyes. "Thank you Granny. Can somebody please show me to my parents' home? I'd prefer to move in there than to live in my old, dingy apartment."

"Sure thing Naruto. But first, I need to let you know that I'll have to hold a council meeting to inform them that you know of your heritage and that you're moving into your parents' estate. Knowing the civilian side of the council, they might try something. As for the shinobi council and the elders, I'm not sure what to expect from them. So be prepared for that, okay Naruto-kun?" Tsunade said as she drew her godson into a hug.

Nodding his head, Naruto hugged his godmother back and kissed her cheek. "I understand. Thank you Tsunade-sama. Before I go…I do have a favor to ask of you."

Blinking at this, Tsunade nodded and motioned for her godson to go on. "Sure Naruto-kun, go on and ask. If there's something I can do for you, I'd be glad to help. But first, I need to let you know that I'll need to test you to see where you stand amongst your peers. I need to see where to place you and determine how you work with a team after all this time."

Naruto frowned at this and rubbed at the back of his head. "Yeah, that's kind of what I wanted to talk with you about. I don't want to end up stuck on the same team again. I don't feel comfortable being on a team with Kakashi and Sakura again. While Sakura seems to have changed for the better, I like the team I have _now_. I work well with these girls and I'd like to form a new team with _them_. I understand that I'll probably need to work with a jonin as well, but I **don't** want Kakashi. He was lazy as can be and didn't bother training Sakura and me **at all**! He focused primarily on Sasuke and only bothered with crappy teamwork exercises that _didn't work_! The one thing he taught Sakura and I was the tree-climbing exercise, and then he just left us alone. And when I asked him for training for the one month reprieve in the Chunin Exams, he passed me off to a jonin that hates my guts! So I hope you can understand why I can't trust Kakashi to have my best interests in mind Tsunade-sama."

Staring at her godson with a gobsmacked expression on her face, Tsunade couldn't help but wonder something to herself. "Why didn't you tell me any of this before? If your team was truly that bad, why wait so long to do something about it Naruto-kun? I would have found you a better team! I would have done something to correct his behavior!"

Looking down at this point, Naruto chuckled dryly and shook his head. "Before I left, I was a complete idiot Granny. It wasn't until after these women with me began to help me that I realized just how broken my team really was. They helped me come to the decision to forego that stupid promise that I made to Sakura and they helped me get over that stupid crush on Sakura as well. I'm happier now than I've ever been before. I feel great, and I can definitely say that I will no longer take any of the crap I used to before. If people cross me, there will be hell to pay, I guarantee it."

Smiling down at her godson, Tsunade hugged him tight and nodded her head. "I'm glad. I was so worried about you Naruto. I'm glad that these girls have had such a positive effect on you. But I do hope you aren't planning to do anything too malicious to those that wrong you in the village. I can't have you go around killing people, you know?"

Shaking his head at this, Naruto simply smiled up at his godmother. "Nope. I wouldn't go around killing anyone just because they pissed me off somehow. Instead they'll be meeting the Prankster King from Hell once again. They'll regret ever crossing me, I guarantee it. And I have these girls here with me to help me do it too!"

Before Tsunade could say anything, Rikku threw her hand up into the air and began hopping up and down slightly. "Yuppers! I've heard about the treatment my guy's had to put up with here in Konoha and there's no way I'm going to tolerate any stupid meanies picking on him again! From now on, we're going to pay those suckers back and prank them so hard they'll regret ever getting out of bed in the morning!" She declared with a big grin on her face.

At hearing this, Tsunade's eyes widened a bit before she turned to Jiraiya in horror. "Oh Kami, there's _two_ of them now. You could have sent me a warning via your toads Jiraiya!"

Smirking at her, Jiraiya shook his head and chuckled. "Nope. It was way more fun for you to find out this way. I got to see your reactions in person this way." He explained with a wry grin on his face.

Sighing at this, Tsunade decided to get back onto the topic they were on before, just so she wouldn't have to think about the possibility of some kind of pranking spree breaking out in her village. "Anyways Naruto, while I can agree to letting you form a team with these women here, I still need to assign a jonin to your team. I promise that you won't be stuck with Kakashi, and I promise you that I _will_ be having a few words with that fool of a shinobi after what you've told me. Give me a few days and I promise that I'll have the perfect jonin for your team, okay? Of course, your team will have to be tested, so once I get the jonin selected for your team, I'll have him test you as well. Can you agree to these terms?" Receiving an affirmative nod in response, the blonde Hokage nodded in turn and smiled kindly at her godson. "Good. Now Jiraiya, could you please escort Naruto and his little girlfriends to their new home since I assume they'll be living with him?"

"Sure thing Tsu-hime. C'mon Naruto, let's get you moved into your parents' place. Do you have anything at your apartment you'd like to move into your new place?" Jiraiya questioned.

Taking a moment to think on it, Naruto shrugged his shoulders and looked into his godfather's eyes. "Honestly? I don't think so, but it couldn't hurt to check. I might have a few things there that I might want to bring over that I can't remember off the top of my head. Still, I really don't have much there that's worth anything. It wasn't really a true _home_ to me. It was just some place that I lived in that got broken into on occasion. I learned to hide anything of any real value and kept most everything that I didn't want stolen or broken on my person."

Nodding in understanding, Jiraiya shrugged his shoulders. "Still, like you said, it couldn't hurt to check. We'll stop by your old apartment first, pack up anything you want to keep, and head off to your new estate. See you later Tsu-hime. And by the way, I'm sure you probably already know, but Kakashi's been sitting outside the window almost the entire time we've been in here talking. Might want to call him in and have that 'talk' after we've left." With a wave good-bye, Jiraiya left the office with his godson and his female friends, leaving the Godaime Hokage alone in her office.

As soon as the door to her office had closed, Tsunade glanced towards the window and narrowed her eyes. "Kakashi, I know you're out there. Get in here. **Now.** " Once the silver-haired jonin had entered her office and closed the window behind him, she pointed towards one of the chairs across from her. "You and I need to have a little 'talk'." Seeing Kakashi gulp nervously caused the busty blonde to smirk devilishly. _That's right. You're in deep shit now Kakashi._

 _ **Uzumaki-Namikaze Estate – Two Hours Later**_

Naruto and the girls were currently sitting in the living room, staring at the four scrolls sitting upon the table between them. Naruto hadn't brought much over to the estate from his old apartment; just a few knickknacks and old mementos of his happier times in Konoha, but nothing of any major importance. Right now though he was debating on which of the scrolls to open first.

Deciding on just going in order from left to right, he picked up the further on the left and unrolled it. Upon doing so, he noticed a seal in the middle of the scroll. So, pouring his chakra into the seal, the blonde watched as a number of tri-pronged kunai appeared in mid-air and clattered to the floor around him. Along with that, a journal and a letter appeared as well.

Setting the journal on the table, Naruto proceeded to help the girls collect all the tri-pronged kunai and put them together in a neat pile beside the table. After doing so, he opened the letter and began to read it aloud.

 _"Dear Naruto,_

 _If you're reading this, it means that I'm no longer amongst the living. I wanted to be there to raise you personally, but it seems that it was not meant to be. The first thing I want to say to you is that I love you son. I wish dearly that I could have been there to tell you that in person, but a letter will have to suffice._

 _I'm afraid I don't have much time, so I'll have to make this letter brief. On the night of your birth, a masked man with a Sharingan eye attacked and released the Kyuubi from your mother's seal. I did what I could and managed to chase him off, but I wish I could have done more. It is his fault that the Kyuubi attacked Konoha on the night of your birth._

 _Enough of that though. I want to apologize to you, my son. I know it can't have been easy, growing up in Konoha knowing that you've had to live the life of a jinchuriki. I wanted you to be seen as a hero, but I know how people can be. I would ask you to forgive them for their ignorance, but I won't do that. Just know that whatever you choose to do and whatever path you may take, I love you son and I always will. Know that I'm proud of you my dear son._

 _I have left you all of my Hiraishin kunai and my notes on the_ _Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique)_ _as well so that you may one day learn how to utilize the technique for yourself. Perhaps you can one day improve upon it. Just in case my sensei hasn't taught you yet, I also left instructions in my journal on how to use the_ _Rasengan (Spiraling Sphere)_ _. These techniques should help prepare you for whatever may come. I also hope that you can complete the_ _Rasengan_ _whereas I could not. Make me proud, my wonderful son._

 _I have to go now. I love you. ~Your father, Minato Namikaze"_

Naruto found himself smiling after reading the letter from his father. He could understand where his father was coming from a bit better now. He didn't want this life for his son, but he could also tell that his father wanted only the best for him. But something troubled him about what he read, "A man with a Sharingan eye? Did an Uchiha unleash the Kyuubi upon Konoha? But…why?"

Shaking his head of that thought and deciding to file it away for later, Naruto smiled gratefully at his girlfriend when she gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze to try and comfort him. "I'm okay Rikku-chan. Thank you. I just…I wish I could have met them." Taking a deep breath, Naruto reached over and grabbed the second scroll. "Let's see what my mother had to say, shall we?" He said as he opened the scroll.

Pouring chakra into the seal in the middle, Naruto watched as a letter popped out, along with two more scrolls. Glancing at the scrolls with a curious eye, Naruto was tempted to open them, but decided against it for the time being. Instead, he picked up the letter and opened it, deciding to read this one aloud as well.

 _"Dear Naruto-kun,_

 _Hi sweetie, this is your darling mother! I wish I could have been there for you growing up, but unfortunately, it seems I'm probably dead if you're reading this letter. I want you to know that no matter what, I love you and I always,_ always _will. You're my darling baby boy and what mother_ wouldn't _love her child? Well, besides a terrible one, but that's not the point!_

 _Anyways, I wanted to give you some motherly advice on a few things! First, don't fall into the traps so many ninja do! Money, women, arrogance, etc. All bad things. Spend your money_ _ **wisely**_ _. Save it and only spend your money on things you really need okay? It's okay to splurge every once in a while if you really want to, but I don't want you going crazy with it!_

 _Women? I don't want you going after the wrong kind of woman. We've left you a_ _ **lot**_ _of money, and a lot of women go after men simply because they have all that money. Other women go after men because of their heritage. So be careful about the type of women you spend your time with. Try to find a woman like me, one that will make you happy and treat you right okay? Unfortunately, I have to warn you about something sweetie…_

 _There's something called the CRA, or Clan Restoration Act, that you might end up being forced into at some point in your life. You are the last Uzumaki in the village, and you're the only child of your father and me, two very famous ninja. Whether you know it or not, you're very important to the village and a lot of people will find themselves_ very _interested in you. Well, the CRA is something that is used to ensure that a clan doesn't go extinct. With this…a male member is made to take multiple wives while a female…well…I won't go into that. Point is, if you're put into the CRA, you're going to end up having to take multiple wives._

 _What I want you to do if this happens is to tell them that_ _ **you**_ _get to choose who you be with and that you'll choose when you get married, when you'll have children, etc. Do_ _ **not**_ _let them dictate who you marry, how many children you have, when you have children…don't let them dictate_ _ **any**_ _of that! Okay honey?_

 _Anyways, on to the final point I wanted to make. Arrogance. Just because you're powerful and come from a lineage of powerful people and powerful parents, don't let it go to your head. It's important to be humble. Your father and I were always training ourselves and doing our best to stay in shape so we could protect those dear to us. We never grew complacent and we always knew that there was a chance we could run into somebody that could one day beat us. So I want you to continue to grow stronger for the ones you love. Got it mister?!_

 _Sweetie, I know your mother has rambled on about a lot of things, but I promise this letter's almost finished. I just have a few more things to say. I'm sure you've noticed the two scrolls that came along with this letter. One has instructions on how to utilize my Adamantine Sealing Chains, which you will find_ very _useful if you can utilize them, I assure you. The second scroll contains instructions on how to utilize our clan's kekkei genkai, if you manage to unlock it. Otherwise, you can just ignore that one._

 _I think that's pretty much everything I wanted to say sweetheart. Just…just know that I love you and I always will. I'm sure that you've already made me incredibly proud of you, but let me just say it here: I'm proud of you sweetheart and I always will be._

 _~With love, your mother, Kushina Uzumaki"_

After finishing the letter, Naruto put it down on the table and found himself blinking from the shock of what he just read. Looking into his girlfriend's eyes, he could see that she was looking just a _tad_ furious at the thought of the CRA. "Sweetie? Are you okay?"

Rikku took a few deep breaths to calm herself before she turned to look into her boyfriend's eyes. "No Naruto…not really. Just the thought of having to _share_ you hurts me. I hope they don't enact the CRA on you, but if they do…I want you to promise me something, okay honey?"

Nodding his head, Naruto wrapped his girlfriend in a warm hug and smiled sweetly at her in an effort to calm her down. "Rikku-chan, I'd do anything for you, you know that. What do you want me to do?"

"If…if they _do_ enact the CRA on you…we decide **together** who gets to join. Okay? I won't share you with anyone I don't approve of. I won't just have you creating a harem of girls and adding them all willy-nilly like a certain perverted godfather of yours." Rikku said while narrowing her eyes at said godfather who simply raised his hands up in the air and waved them as if saying not to bring him into it.

"I wouldn't do such a thing to you Rikku-chan. Ever. I love you, you know that. If I _do_ get forced into the CRA, you and I will decide **together** who will join us. Heck, if you don't feel comfortable with it, I can just say 'fuck it' and try to find some way out of it if you really want?" Naruto suggested, only to receive a shake of the head from his girlfriend.

"No Naruto…I don't want you creating even more friction between you and the village than there already is. I'll…I'll…I'll make do, okay? I love you more than anything, just…" Rikku was struggling to get her words out as tears began to form in her eyes.

Holding her close, Naruto pressed his lips to hers in a tender kiss before using his fingers to gently wipe away her tears. "Hush. No crying now, okay? Let's not focus on what if's right now." Turning to his godfather, Naruto raised an eyebrow and motioned towards the scrolls. "So how come you didn't tell me about a possible kekkei genkai Pervy Sage? I didn't know my clan had such a thing."

Shrugging his shoulders, Jiraiya's lips twitched upwards slightly before he chuckled sheepishly. "Honestly? I didn't know anything about it. This is the first I've heard of such a thing in the Uzumaki clan. I'm sure if you have a kekkei genkai, it'll be unlocked sooner or later, just give it time." He explained before motioning to the remaining scrolls. "Anyways, why don't you see what's in the last two scrolls? I'm sure one of them contains all the money they left for you, but I don't know what the last one could be."

Nodding his head, Naruto picked up the third scroll and sat back down with Rikku sitting on his lap, much to his embarrassment and her chagrin. Smirking back at him, Rikku shifted herself a bit so her rear grinded against his crotch, causing his member to begin to harden in his pants. "R-Rikku-chan…why?"

"Because it's fun, silly! Why else?" She chirped. "Now open the scroll, I want to see what's inside!"

Groaning, Naruto nodded his head slowly before opening the scroll and looking at the many seals scattered across the paper. "Looks like Jiraiya-sensei's right. This one contains all the money for sure. Let's see what the fourth scroll contains then." Setting the third scroll back upon the table after rolling it back up, Naruto grabbed the fourth scroll and opened it, pouring his chakra into the seal.

When a bunch of books popped out, Naruto blinked and picked one of them up. Opening it, Naruto grinned brightly and began to giggle excitedly. "Pervy Sage! These are all their books and notes on fuinjutsu! This is awesome, dattebayo!"

Smiling at his godson, Jiraiya was about to speak, but found himself pausing as they each heard a knock at the door. Quickly sealing everything away again, Naruto hid his things and watched as Jiraiya went and opened the door. There stood an ANBU agent with long, violet-colored hair. "Good afternoon Lord Jiraiya. Is Naruto here?"

Sighing, Naruto moved his girlfriend off of his lap, much to her annoyance, and rose from his chair. Walking over to the door, he waved at Yugao and smiled at her. "Heya there. Good to see you again Cat. What's up?"

Frowning behind her mask, Yugao looked down on her younger brother figure and decided to break the news to him. "You're needed in the council chambers Naruto-kun. I've been sent to retrieve you. Lord Jiraiya has been asked to attend as well by Godaime-sama, but your guests will have to remain here I'm afraid. Sorry Naruto-kun."

Sighing at this, Naruto glanced back at his girlfriend. "Sorry sweetheart, it looks like I have to go for a little while. I'll be back later. If my guess is correct about what this is about…" Shaking his head, Naruto gritted his teeth for a moment and clenched his fists tight. "I'm not going to like this, am I Cat nee-san?"

Shaking her head, Yugao placed her hand on Naruto's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I doubt it Naruto-kun." Looking into Jiraiya's eyes, the ANBU captain nodded her head before the three vanished using the Body Flicker Technique.

Rikku looked around at the others and frowned. "Why do I have the feeling that I'm not going to like what's about to happen to my boyfriend?"

"Because from the tone of her voice, we could all tell that it's likely nothing good that he's going to have to deal with from those people." Blake said as she folded her arms under her bust as she scowled at nothing.

"From what Naruto's told us, I don't think he's ever been a council meeting where something _positive_ has happened to him. I guess all we can do is hope for the best this time." Towa stated, although she knew that was asking for the impossible. Still, she received reluctant nods all around, each of them hoping that nothing too terrible would happen at this council meeting.

* * *

 **A/N - Yes, I decided to make Tsunade Naruto's godmother in this fic. Again. I just like the idea of her being Naruto's godmother. Don't get on my case about it. :P**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I don't really have much to say this time around. I'm going in for surgery in a couple of days so I don't know how often I'll be updating considering I'm going to be in freaking PAIN afterwards. Last time I had to get surgery for this damn problem I was in major pain for at least a week if I remember correctly. So yeaaaah.**

 **Anywho, hopefully this was a good enough chapter for ya. Up next is chapter 4, so be looking forward to it. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Okay, I know I've kept you all waiting for a loooong dang time to update any of my fics, so I hope you'll appreciate this chapter. I also know that some of you complained about Yang being chosen as 'better' than Naruto in hand-to-hand combat, and here's what I say to that: My story, my rules. It's okay if you don't like something I do, nobody's going to like EVERYTHING about a story they read, and it's okay if you say Naruto's better than her. However, for the purposes of this fanfic, I needed her to be better so he'd have someone whose level of efficiency in CQC (Close Quarters Combat) that he could strive to be like in terms of taijutsu.**

 **Anyways, hopefully that clears some things up in regards to that. There'll be another A/N at the bottom, after the chapter's done, so look for that as well.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4 – The Test & a Rescue Mission**

As Naruto entered the council chambers with his godfather, he couldn't help but mentally go over what he had read in his mother's letter mere moments earlier. If his intuition was correct, and he was certain it was, these asshats were going to put him in the CRA and they were probably going to try and control everything about it too. If they did, he would follow his mother's instructions to the letter and tell them exactly what he thought about their demands and of them.

Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Naruto returned his focus to the many presences in the room and nodded once at his godfather to show his thanks. It wouldn't do him any good to be distracted during a meeting such as this, especially since they loved to try and screw him over every chance they got. Or at least, that's what he's known from past experiences with these people.

Looking down at her godson, Tsunade frowned for a moment before steepling her fingers and resting her chin atop them. "Naruto, you have been called here tonight to discuss a recent revelation I have given to the peoples of the council. They have decided to enact the CRA, or Clan Restoration Act, on you in the hopes that you'll help restore the Uzumaki clan in the village of Konohagakure. Now, before I continue with what the council has decided in the terms of the CRA, do you have any questions regarding this Act, or do you have anything you would like to say?"

Looking up into his godfather's eyes, Naruto smiled to himself when Jiraiya nodded in his direction. It was a signal to go ahead, one that signified that he was being given permission to speak his mind as he wanted. So, deciding to do just that, Naruto raised both hands and flipped off everyone on the council. "This is what I have to say to all of you on the council. I'll accept being in the CRA, but I decide how many wives I'll have, I'll decide when I marry, I'll decide how many children I have and when, etc. I'll make all the decisions regarding everything and I won't let you assholes dictate my life like you enjoy trying to do. From now on, I'm doing things my way and if you can't accept that, then tough molasses ya assholes! Besides, I have a lovely girlfriend already that I'll gladly marry when the time comes if she's okay with marrying my sorry ass. Now, any questions?" After all was said, Naruto smirked wickedly at the entirety of the council, just daring them to question him.

Before anyone could say anything, the sound of giggling rang throughout the room. It eventually grew into full-blown laughter. When everyone turned to find the source, they saw Tsunade clutching her stomach as she was doubled over laughing. When she finally managed to calm herself, she wiped a few tears out of her eyes and smiled at Naruto. "Well said. They were going to try and dictate everything about who you were to marry, how many you were to marry, and even when you should be married by. But if you're already planning to marry your current girlfriend and you can safely say you'll manage the CRA in your own way on your own time, I don't see any reason to question you. Does anyone disagree with me?" She asked with a menacing grin on her face. When nobody said anything, she smiled sweetly down at Naruto and nodded her head once. "Good, it seems that the council is in agreement. You get to dictate the CRA for yourself Naruto-kun. I've already dealt with any other problems that came up before you arrived, so you're free to go now. Have a good night."

Smiling thankfully up at his godmother, Naruto nodded his head and mouthed a quick 'Thank you.' to her before leaving the room with Jiraiya following after him. As soon as they left, one of the civilian councilmen dared to open his mouth. "Hokage-sama, why would you allow that boy to dictate everything for himself? There are many perfect candidates to become his brides and bear his children! More than that…"

Tsunade sighed and decided to cut the fat councilman off. "More than that…you want his inheritance for yourselves. You don't care one bit for the boy and you still can't accept that he's truly the Yondaime's son. You're so stuck in the past that you can't believe that you assholes were in the wrong all this time. Meanwhile, the Shinobi Council wanted to marry off members of their clans to increase their own standing within the village. Finally, the Elders still want nothing more than to treat him like the village's weapon. Nobody really gives two shits about Naruto-kun himself. This meeting is dismissed. Goodbye." With a heavy sigh, Tsunade rose from her seat and left for her office. She didn't want to deal with them any longer than she had to.

 _ **Uzumaki-Namikaze Estate**_

Naruto was currently sitting with his girlfriend and the other otherworld girls in the living room of his home. They could tell he was conflicted about something and were just waiting patiently for him to speak rather than trying to force it out of him. When he finally opened his mouth to speak, they were ready to listen. "Well, my mother was right. They put me into the CRA. But like the letter said, I told them that, while I'll agree to being in the CRA, I'll determine everything about the CRA rules regarding me myself. Told 'em that they could essentially all fuck off. I'm not marrying anyone I don't love, I'm not having children before I'm ready, etc. So Rikku-chan…while I _do_ have to marry more than one woman and birth multiple children with them, we'll decide together who we'll be with, okay? And…"

The blonde male blushed and looked away at this point, unable to speak what was on his mind any further. While he wanted to tell her that he wanted to marry her, he found himself unable to utter the words. However, Rikku understood what he was trying to say and gently gripped him by the chin before turning him to face her. Leaning in slowly, she kissed him sweetly on the lips and smirked at him. "Were you about to say you wanted me to be your wife my lovely Naruto? If so, then I'll gladly accept. I love you more than anything and I'd be happy to marry you. If you're worried about me wanting to one day return home, then don't be. While I'd like to see Yunie, Paine, and the others again, that doesn't mean I'd want to _stay_ there. I want to be with **you** my silly Naruto. Understand?"

Smiling gratefully at his Rikku-chan, Naruto hugged her close and kissed her back. After the kiss had ended, he nuzzled his head against her neck and chuckled softly. "I love you Rikku-chan. Thank you for saying that. Just to make it official, will you be my wife Rikku-chan? Will you marry me and make me one of the happiest men alive?"

Giggling, Rikku nodded her head and hugged her beloved closer. "Of course I will Naruto. Though we'll have to work on finding a way to open a portal to Spira so we can invite Yunie and Paine to the wedding, 'cause I don't want them missing out on the big event! So that means we gotta double time it on getting your portal magic under control Mister Uzumaki!" Poking his cheeks, Rikku smiled at him before she couldn't hold it in anymore and began to giggle again.

Sighing softly, Naruto nodded his head and poked his girlfriend on the nose. "Don't worry sweetheart. I promise I'll make it happen. Yuna and Paine will be there for our wedding, I'll make absolutely sure of it." Looking over at the women from Remnant, Naruto smiled at them and nodded his head. "And I haven't forgotten my promise to you two either. I'll find a way to get the two of you home. Please just continue to be patient with me. I'm…still not too sure how to create those portals or where they'd even open up at. I hope to figure out that portal magic soon though."

Smiling at this, Blake shook her head and looked into her girlfriend's eyes. They both had a clear message sent between them silently that said 'We need to talk after this.' before Blake turned back to Naruto and shook her head again. "It's alright Naruto. We understand that this is something that will take time. It could be years before we see Remnant again, and we've accepted that fact. Don't push yourself too hard on our account, please."

Nodding his head and smiling in thanks for the understanding, Naruto replied with, "Thank you for being so patient with me Blake, Yang. I'm just sorry that it's taking so long. I know you must miss your loved ones terribly." Sighing, Naruto shook his head a moment before looking up at the ceiling. "Anyways, I don't know about you girls, but I am dead tired. Rikku-chan, do you want to cuddle with me tonight or do you want to find your own room for now?"

Rikku leaned back in the couch next to her boyfriend and smirked at him. "Really? My own room? By myself? Nuh-uh mister! I want my cuddle buddy with me! I can't sleep without my cuddly Naruto anymore!" After saying this, Rikku hugged onto Naruto tightly and began to pepper his whiskered cheeks with kisses, causing him to blush in embarrassment while the other girls of the house began to giggle at his expense.

With a sigh, Naruto nodded his head and bade the others a good night before walking off upstairs with his girlfriend so they could both change and go to sleep in each other's arms in their new bed.

Back downstairs, Towa looked at Blake and Yang with a smirk. "So, I couldn't help but notice the looks you sent each other earlier. Something you two need to get off your chests?" She queried with a raised eyebrow to hint at her curiosity. She had a feeling that she knew what they were thinking/feeling, but she wanted to confirm it before she offered an opinion on their 'problem'.

Sighing softly, Blake looked to Yang again and, after receiving a quick nod, turned to Towa and began to speak. "Yang and I were thinking…and we both like it here in this world. There's no Grimm and, despite the occasional bandit and the missing nins, and even that Akatsuki group, it's a really nice place. We miss our world terribly, but that's mostly because we have people there that we love and miss. But…"

When Blake clammed up and began to blush furiously, and even found herself unable to speak anymore, Yang let a smirk play across her face and decided to speak up. "What my wittle kitty cat is trying to say is that we've both kind of fallen for our blonde ball of sunshine. We weren't going to act on our feelings, but with that CRA thing in the mix…well…" Shrugging her shoulders, Yang waved one of her hands in the air in a lackadaisical manner and let her smirk widen ever further. "I'm sure you can imagine how we're feeling."

With a sigh, Towa nodded her head and looked into Blake's amber-colored eyes. "That's nothing to be ashamed of. If you have true, genuine feelings for the man, come clean and tell him. Don't hide your feelings. You'll only hurt yourselves and him in the long run by doing so. Naruto's a good man and I'm sure that he'll give you a positive response. Besides, Rikku wouldn't turn you two away from him. Look at how long we've all known each other. We're a good team and she genuinely trusts you two. Why wouldn't she trust you two with her fiancé as well?" The princess advised in a sagely manner.

Smiling thankfully, Blake nodded her head and walked over to the blonde ex-princess before hugging her tight. "Thank you. We'll…we'll talk to them tomorrow. For now I think we all could use some sleep, don't you?"

Yang chuckled and walked over to her girlfriend and gently gripped her shoulder. "C'mon Kitty, let's go get some sleep. I'm hoping that Tsunade gets that jonin prepped for us early tomorrow. I want to get this test of ours over with so we can start going on missions together as a team! Talk about fun stuff right there!"

Sighing softly, Blake shook her head and just walked off with her girlfriend without saying a word. It seemed that despite everything that had happened, her girlfriend would never change. Not that that was a bad thing, mind you, but sometimes it could be a little exasperating for the feline Faunus.

Now that the two of them were alone, Towa turned her attention to the only other occupant of the room now: Meru. Frowning slightly, the ex-princess folded her arms under her bust and looked hard into the Wingly's eyes. "So when are you going to tell him?"

Slumping over in her chair, Meru couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh. "That obvious, huh?" Glancing up into Towa's eyes, she only received a deadpan stare in return. So, releasing another sigh, Meru sat up straight and shrugged. "I'll…I'll tell him soon. Probably. Maybe? I don't know! How do I tell him that I love him, huh?!"

Quirking one of her brows in disbelief, Towa walked over and slapped Meru upside the head. "It's easy. You walk up to Naruto, give him a hug and a tender kiss on his lips, and tell him: "I love you." It's as simple as that." the ex-princess explained with a small smirk playing at her lips.

"Suuure. And Rikku would just be okay with me doing something like that? I doubt it. Still…it _could_ be fun. I…hmm…I guess I _could_ try your idea. It certainly sounds like the most fun way to go about doing it!" Giggling to herself, Meru nodded twice as if to confirm her decision before she jumped up and hugged the blonde ex-princess tight. "Thanks Towa! I think I will do just that! It might even make Rikku jealous. I think that would be quite the sight to see." Giggling even more, Meru rushed off to get changed and go to bed for the night.

Back in the living room, Towa couldn't help but giggle herself. "Naruto, life is never going to be boring as long as I'm around you, I can tell. I'm looking forward to seeing what the coming days will bring." With a bright smile on her face, the blonde woman left the living room and went off to get some sleep.

 _ **The Next Day – Third Training Ground**_

Naruto and the girls were currently standing before the jonin chosen to lead their team. He was a tall man with shaggy brown hair and black, almond-shaped eyes. He also wore an oddly shaped forehead protector that resembled the kind Tobirama Senju, the Nidaime Hokage, used to wear. Finally, he was dressed in the typical jonin attire, minus the usual Uzushiogakure swirls on the flak jacket. After a moment of the two groups (or one individual observing a group in the jonin's case), the jonin decided to introduce himself. "Good day to each of you. I am the jonin that has been assigned to lead this team. My name is Yamato. It's a pleasure to meet you." He said with a pleasant smile on his face.

Seeing he had their attention, Yamato nodded his head and looked directly at Naruto for a moment before looking around at the others. "Now then, I've been brought up to speed on the current situation, but I'd like to get to know my team first, and not just from Tsunade-sama or Jiraiya-sama. Why don't you all tell me something about yourselves? Naruto, since this will be similar to when you introduced yourself to Kakashi and your prior teammates, why don't you go first and show the others?" Yamato suggested.

Shrugging in response, Naruto nodded his head in resignation and made a silent agreement to start things off rather than argue that their new sensei should go first. "Alright. As everyone here knows by now, my name is Naruto Uzumaki. I like my girlfriend Rikku-chan, my dear friends Meru, Towa, Yang, and Blake, my godfather Jiraiya-sama, Tsunade baa-chan and Shizune nee-chan and their pet pig Ton-Ton, ramen, and more that I don't feel like listing right now. I dislike how long it takes for ramen to cook, all the bigoted villagers that believe I'm the Kyuubi incarnate, how I'm the only Genin left amongst my graduating class, and Sasuke-teme. My dream is to become Hokage someday, but I also want to marry Rikku-chan and have a big family someday with her and any children we have. Though…I also know that, thanks to the CRA, I have to marry multiple women, so I hope to marry for love and for Rikku-chan and I to be happy with whoever I end up marrying."

Smiling in response to this, Yamato nodded his head and patted the young blonde on the shoulder. "Those are good dreams Naruto. Just make sure to treat the women you're with right and do right by them and everything should end up being great, I'm positive of that. Now, who wants to go next?"

Meru shrugged and raised her hand, at which point Yamato pointed at her and signaled for her to begin. "My name is Meru. I like Naruto and all my friends you see here. I also like my magic and flying. I dislike the fact that I don't know what became of my friends back in the world I came from, but I don't blame Naruto for that at all, just so you know. I do miss them, but I love being here and I love my new friends too much to want to go back to a world where…where…"

Taking a moment to take a few deep breaths, Meru hugged herself and shook her head as her friends each hugged her in turn, one by one. When they were done and she was settled again, Meru looked into Yamato's eyes and sighed. "After everything was said and done in my world…I'd have nowhere to go. I was an exile amongst my people…I would have never been allowed back into my home. And my friends would have each gone their own way after we saved the world, I'm sure of it. Sure we'd probably stay in contact somehow, but it just wouldn't be the same. I don't know what I would have done, but I know I'd go back to being lonely and it would have been a miserable existence despite being part of a group that had just saved the world. So…I'm glad to be here and…well…"

Here, Meru looked at Naruto and gained a slightly devilish smirk. Thinking back on the words that Towa said to her the night before, the Wingly dancer giggled evilly to herself and quietly said aloud, "What the hell." before grabbing Naruto's cheeks in her hands, making him face her, and leaning in close before claiming his lips with hers in a passionate kiss. It didn't take long for her to probe at his mouth with her tongue, and when he opened his mouth to speak out, she snaked her tongue into his mouth and began to probe around in there.

Soon enough, Naruto began to return the kiss and wrapped his arms around the bluenette's waist and hugged her close. After a couple of minutes of this, they pulled their faces back a few inches and breathed in a couple of raspy breaths. "W-Wow…that was amazing Naruto. I should have done that sooner!" Meru exclaimed, a happy grin on her face.

Naruto was blushing up a storm as he looked to Rikku who had a look of shock on her face before she turned her gaze on Meru with a look that said: 'You'd better explain right now!' So in response, Meru decided to do just that.

"You might be a bit upset with me right now Rikku, and that's perfectly understandable, but I realized that I'm in love with Naruto six months ago and I may have been in love with him since before then, but I don't know for sure. With him being inducted into the CRA, I finally felt I had a chance to be with him, despite the fact that you were with him first and the two of you had a say in who got to be with him. I just…I had to make it known to him and you that I can't hide my feelings anymore, that I'm in love and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to earn Naruto's love in return. So…please, just take whatever time you need to discuss this revelation and I hope you two decide to let me be a part of this relationship. But just know that no matter what, I'm not going to give up, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to prove that I'm worthy of Naruto. _Believe it._ " At the end, she stressed those words just to tease Naruto and it worked because he groaned and facepalmed himself in embarrassment, saddened by the fact that he had used that particular verbal tic around the girls enough times that they'd be willing to tease him with it from time to time.

Rikku sighed and looked between her boyfriend, now fiancé, and back to Meru and nodded slowly. "We'll discuss this later, between the three of us. Right now, we need to get back on track." Receiving nods of agreement from everyone, the perky blonde decided to go next. "I love my darling fiancé Naruto, as we're all more than aware. I also like all my friends here, of course. I…I like Yunie, Paine, my brother Brother," here she received a weird look from Yamato, so she decided to elaborate. "Yes, my brother's name is Brother. I also like my dad Cid and my other friends back in my old world. I do miss everyone from time to time, but I'm happy here in this new world. I…fell into a pit of depression in my world after what happened. Naruto saved me from that, so I'm very grateful to him for saving me from that."

Smiling at her fiancé, Rikku hugged him tight and gave him a sweet, loving kiss on the lips that lasted for approximately thirty seconds before they separated and she continued on with her introduction. "Anyways, I dislike anyone that dares try to harm those dear to me. I also dislike the stupid people of this village that dare to treat my Naruto poorly because of what he contains. Finally, I dislike the idea that the councils may try to push their daughters or other female relatives onto my fiancé for their own selfish reasons!"

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Rikku hugged her fiancé tight and buried her face in his shoulder for a moment, just breathing in his scent and using it and his presence to relax herself once again. When she felt she was finally calm enough to continue, she raised her head again and looked to Yamato, but she didn't remove herself from her love's embrace. "Finally, my dream? My dream is simple. I want to live a happy life with my fiancé and have a lot of children together that we can spoil rotten and watch as they cause all kinds of chaos around the village just for giggles. Wouldn't that be fun?!" Giggling to herself at the images running through her head of her future children pranking the people of Konoha, Rikku couldn't help but smile and hold her fiancé tight, happy just to bask in his presence.

Yamato blinked a couple of times before nodding in acknowledgement of her dream. "While, for the most part, that is a nice dream, the idea of your children causing chaos around Konoha is a bit concerning to me as a former ANBU agent. Just trying to deal with Naruto's pranks was bad enough." Shuddering for a moment from the memories, the jonin shook his head to rid himself of the memories and turned to Yang. "How about you go next?"

Grinning, the busty blonde nodded enthusiastically and began her introduction in earnest. "The name's Yang Xiao Long. I love my girlfriend Blakey," here she had to duck a swat from Blake due to the little nickname, "and I love my friends here. I also love my sister Ruby Rose and my dad Tai. Aaaaand despite how much of an ice queen she could be sometimes, I also like Weissicle." Here she didn't manage to avoid the punch and took it right to her arm. Rubbing the spot she was punched, Yang gave her girlfriend a mock offended look and pouted cutely at her. "Aww, Blake, that hurt. You don't like the nickname I gave her?"

Blake merely sighed and shook her head before motioning for her girlfriend to simply get on with her introduction. Grumbling a bit, Yang decided to just get things over with. "Fine, fine spoilsport. Ruin all my fun why don'tcha? Anyways, I always like a good brawl and a good adventure too. However, I greatly dislike Adam, the bastard that hurt Blake. I'll never forgive him for that!" Here Yang's eyes turned red and her aura flared for a moment until she felt Blake's hand on her shoulder and she managed to calm down. Taking a deep, calming breath, Yang nodded in thanks to her beloved and continued on. "I also dislike anyone that harms my hair. My hair is precious to me damn it! Finally, I also dislike anyone that dares try to harm any one of my friends or loved ones. Basically, if you try to harm Blake, my hair, or my friends and loved ones, you'd best have made plans for your funeral already because you're fucked."

Yamato looked around at this and saw everyone nodding and could only wonder just what a berserker Yang would be like. He supposed he would find out eventually, but he also knew he'd have to try and work with her to try and harness that rage into a fine-tuned weapon rather than let her go wild. Unless of course Jiraiya had managed to train her into using that rage as a strength instead of simply attacking wildly without any control, in which case, all the power to her. Deciding to put those thoughts on the backburner for now, he decided to simply ask her for her dream(s). "And what about your dream? Have you given any thought to that?"

Smirking to herself at what she was about to say, Yang looked into Blake's eyes as if seeking permission for something. When Blake blushed deeply and looked almost hesitant to agree, Yang mouthed to her, 'It'll be okay. Trust me.' After a moment to think it over, Blake gave a slow, almost hesitant nod and just hugged onto one of her girlfriend's arms and buried her head into the crook of Yang's neck, as if she was afraid to watch what would happen next.

"My dream, or rather dreams, are simple Mr. Yamato. I want to live a full life full of adventure! But…my main dream? That's even better. I want to settle down with Blake and marry her. But more than that, I want the both of us to be happy with the man we've fallen in love with. I want us to marry Naruto and settle down with him and give him the children he deserves." Yang said before smiling kindly at Naruto. When he started to blush furiously, Yang began to giggle and simply hugged her girlfriend close as Blake was starting to shake a bit, almost as if she was fearful of what Rikku would do in response to the revelation that the two of them were in love with her boyfriend.

Once more, Rikku looked gobsmacked for a moment before she released a sigh and nodded slowly in acceptance. Lowering her head a moment, the beautiful young thief released another sigh and took a moment to think things over. _That's two more of my friends that have feelings for my Naruto. At least they're people I can trust to have nothing but the purest intentions and not greedy, stupid meanies. Still…I need to talk things over with each of them later._ Nodding to herself, Rikku looked into Yang's eyes and then glanced at the back of Blake's head. "We…we'll talk later. Right now just isn't the time."

Nodding in understanding, Yang nudged her girlfriend and, when she looked up into her eyes, the blonde with the bountiful bosom kissed her sweetly on her lips before motioning towards Yamato. "Your turn sweetie." Receiving a nod in return, she watched as Blake fought to get her blush under control before she began to speak.

"My name is Blake Belladonna, and my likes are simple. I like fish, especially tuna. I, of course, like my family, though I do miss them greatly. I love Yang and, as she's revealed, I am in love with Naruto as well." At admitting this, Blake began blushing prettily again before she decided to simply get on with her introduction. "I like to read and I'm also interested in writing my own book someday. I've begun work on it and I've already written three chapters to my first story, so hopefully it turns out well." she admitted, a small smile appearing on her beautiful face.

"Now, my dislikes are next, right?" Receiving a nod from Yamato in return, the cat Faunus continued on. "I dislike anyone that bullies people that are different, such as the idiots on Team CRDL from our world." Blake said, motioning between herself and Yang when she said 'our world'. "I **hate** what the White Fang has become. It used to be an organization that made simple protests against all the bigotry in our world. But thanks to people like Adam, it's turned into nothing more than a criminal organization and made the Faunus even more hated than what they already were. On that note, I also greatly dislike Adam. He's the one that gave me the scar on my stomach, and he was also preparing to hurt Yang simply because she's my closest friend and my dear girlfriend."

At this point, Yang pulled Blake in for another hug and began to gently stroke at her girlfriend's cat ears, causing a deep blush to take hold of her features again right before she began to purr like a cat would. After a couple of minutes of this, Blake scowled and swatted at Yang's hand to make her stop. "I swear, you're incorrigible sometimes Yang. Don't do that to me in front of our new leader."

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, although the blush wouldn't fade completely, she spoke up again. "Anyways, my hobbies are, as I already explained, reading and writing. I have a few other hobbies, but nothing that immediately comes to mind right now. Finally, my dreams? I...guess I dream of seeing my family again someday to ensure that they're alright and doing well. I also want to settle down with Yang and Naruto and have at least three kids. I can already imagine little Blake's and Naruto's running around playing together." As her imagination began to run wild, the cat Faunus giggled happily for a while until she remembered where she was and what she was doing and immediately clammed up, her blush increasing once again.

Yamato found himself smiling at this point and nodded his head once. "It's unfortunate that you've been torn from your family. I'm sure you miss them very much, as do the rest of you for your precious people." Receiving nods in return from this statement, Yamato continued. "Still, those are nice dreams Blake and I'm positive they'll come true for you. Anyways, it's time for the last member of our little group to go. Your name is Towa, correct?"

Receiving a nod in return from the blond princess in confirmation, Towa decided to speak up. "Yes, my name is Towa. And I used to be a princess in my world. Or at least I was a part of the princess there. Her name is Toki and she looked almost identical to me except for the eyes and hair color being different. Whereas I have blond hair and amber-colored eyes, Toki had beautiful red hair and red eyes." the former princess explained. "I won't go into details about what happened as I don't know you well enough to reveal my life story, but suffice it to say, things happened and I was cast aside in a sense so that Toki and our fiance could be together."

With a shrug of her shoulders to signify that she didn't really care for that topic any longer, Towa began her introduction in full. "Anyways, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dreams?" Receiving a nod in confirmation from Yamato, Towa nodded once and began again. "Alright. I like all my friends that you see here before you. I've grown rather fond of all of them and wouldn't trade them for the world." Smiling at the others, the amber-eyed woman turned back to Yamato and continued. "I also like swordplay, or rather the art of combat using this." At this point, Towa grabbed her dagger by the handle and unsheathed it so she could show it off to her new team captain. "And yes, in case you were wondering, I love a good fight. I also like to practice with my magic and trying out various new spells I can think up."

Shrugging again, Towa continued on with her dislikes. "I dislike a few of the people back home, the primary focus of my dislike goes to Moebius however. It's because of her that things got as screwed up as they were. Also...after having my eyes opened by Moebius, I know, you don't understand yet, but like I said, I don't trust you enough just yet to reveal the whole story." Towa said as she noticed the look of confusion on Yamato's face. "Anyways, I greatly dislike Toki's new husband, the same fiance I mentioned earlier. He's a pervert, a liar, and a damn scumbag that I feel is only going to hurt Toki in the end with his antics. There are times where I wish I had castrated the bastard." Towa grumbled to herself, not caring that Yamato and Naruto winced at the idea of being castrated like that.

"Anyways, I dislike a few other things, chief among them being perverts. The only one I can _somewhat_ stand is Jiraiya, but that's only because he made the effort to reach out and help us in whatever way he could. For that I'm grateful to both him and Naruto for everything they've done for all of us." Smiling at Naruto at this point, she watched as he blushed a bit and scratched at his nose in mild embarrassment for being put on the spot like that.

Turning back to Yamato, Towa decided to get on with her introduction, starting with her hobbies. "As for hobbies, like I said, I like swordplay, so I enjoy practicing with my dagger. If I feel like it, I may get a sword sometime soon and begin practicing with that as well. I mentioned this earlier as well, but one of my hobbies is practicing with my magic and attempting to think up new spells I can use. I may not be as skilled with fire magic as Toki was, but when it comes to ice and lightning spells, I've got her beat hands-down. Still, I'm trying to broaden my knowledge of magic and have begun really delving into the earth and fire spells so I can someday be as effective as Toki is in their usage."

Releasing a soft sigh, Towa closed her eyes and shrugged again. "As for my dreams? I haven't really given that much thought before. Actually, never mind, I do have one dream. I dream of…" Glancing out of the corner of her eye at Naruto at this point, Towa smiled softly and shook her head. "Well, I dream of marrying the man I love and just...being _happy_ together. Whether we have children or not doesn't matter to me, though I _would_ like to have at the very least one child, a daughter that I can name after Toki. And...I'm sorry for this Rikku, but…"

Here, Towa stopped speaking and walked up to Naruto before grabbing him by the hem of his shirt and pulling him into a fierce kiss that took his breath away. After a few minutes, she finally pulled back and watched as Naruto stumbled back a couple of feet before catching himself. Smirking at him, Towa placed her right hand gently upon his whiskered face and began scratching at his whisker marks, causing him to let out a small rumble from his throat that sounded suspiciously like a purr. Giggling a bit to herself, she stopped teasing him and turned to look at Rikku, folding her arms across her chest and pushing up her bosom just slightly. "I suppose I should apologize to you, but I wanted to let it be known in my own way that I've taken an interest in your fiance. I hope you don't mind sharing him with all of us?"

Rikku sighed and closed her eyes, rubbing at the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Like I said to the others...we'll have to talk about this later. Now just isn't the time." the perky young thief explained. "Although, I suppose having someone as responsible as you around will help keep things stable." Rikku said with a shrug. Looking back up into Towa's eyes, Rikku smiled at her and shrugged her shoulders. "We'll talk later, okay? Just you, me, and the girls. No Naruto allowed! Got that mister?" Rikku exclaimed as she tugged on his cheek a little just to mess with him.

Yamato chuckled softly at seeing their interactions before he decided it was time for him to give an introduction. "My name is Yamato. From this point onwards, I'm your team leader. I like nature, reading, and my absolute favorite food is walnuts. I'm also rather fond of my friends. Finally, I love Konoha and would do anything to protect my home." Nodding his head determinedly, Yamato offered his new team a smile before continuing on. "I dislike oily foods and those that underestimate me. I also dislike traitors, such as the Uchiha you were once friends with Naruto." Yamato said, giving a stern stare at the young man that kind of creeped him out, though he wouldn't admit it.

"My hobbies? Well reading is one of them, I especially like to read books about architecture. I also like tending to my garden. Finally, I love to play with my pet cat, though she can be a real pain sometimes." Yamato said with a chuckle. "Finally comes my dreams I suppose. One of them would be to have a real, all-out, no holds barred spar with my senpai, Kakashi Hatake. Though I am rather disappointed with him for his neglect in yours and Sakura's training. He should have done more for the two of you and he didn't." Sighing heavily, Yamato shook his head and stared calmly into everyone's eyes. "I have other dreams, but nothing too important that requires mentioning."

Nodding his head a couple of times now that introductions were over and done with, the team leader decided to get on with the test. "Now, considering you're all familiar with one another and can no doubt work very well together in a team, I need to put you all through some kind of test. I want to see how you fight as individuals rather than as a team. So, let's begin, shall we?" Walking away from his team, Yamato formed three quick hand seals and muttered quietly. " **Wood Clone Technique.** " With this, a collection of clones made of wood appeared around him, each facing away from the team.

Turning back around, Yamato and his clones stared at each member of Team Yamato. "I've pumped enough chakra into these clones of mine to take quite a lot of abuse. They should be able to more than handle whatever you throw at them. Naruto, you're with me." Motioning for Naruto to follow him, Yamato walked into the woods and waited for his new protege to arrive. As soon as he did, Yamato decided to lay down some ground rules. "Now, I've been informed that you've been trained somewhat in controlling the Kyuubi's powerful chakra. How many tails do you think you can safely control?"

Frowning at this, Naruto closed his eyes and shook his head. "Not many. I can go up to four tails easily enough, but anymore than that and I run the risk of going out of control. I don't like to use that power though because of what it does to me and those around me. Why do you ask?" Naruto questioned as he folded his arms in front of his chest.

The brown-haired man nodded once as he took in the information Naruto had just given him. After a moment of thought, Yamato spoke up. "The answer is a simple one Naruto. I was chosen to lead this team not just because Hokage-sama felt I would be the best fit to lead this team, but also because I'm capable of using Mokuton (Wood Release). With my Mokuton, I should be more than capable of restraining the bijuu's chakra should I see signs of you going out of control. Do you understand? That's why I asked how many tails you could control, so I'm aware of what you can handle and when I should step in."

Nodding at this as he made an 'o' shape with his mouth, Naruto grinned and gave his new team leader a thumbs-up. "That makes sense! Well if you can help keep me under control, then I'm glad to have you Yamato-sensei. Anyways, I assume you wanted to test me in other things as well to see my own abilities?"

Yamato nodded once before getting into a stance used for battle. "I want you to show me what you are capable of Naruto. Don't hold back, alright? I'll let you know when we're done." he explained as he prepared for the spar that was to come.

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Rikku winced as she was hit by a backhand by the wood clone she had been assigned. She almost fell to the ground, but she managed to stay standing and quickly turned back to the clone, an angry look on her face. "That hurt you meanie! Haven't you ever heard of taking it easy on a lady?!"

The wood clone simply quirked an eyebrow before chuckling. "You can't really mean that, can you? If you can't handle this, you're more than welcome to return home and act the role of a 'proper' housewife for your soon-to-be husband."

Rikku found herself grinning and shook her head. "Meh, it was worth a shot. Now that I know what kind of person you are, I can take this up a notch." the perky young blond said before she grabbed hold of a dressphere and performed a spherechange. When the light show ended, she was clad in a different outfit and was holding a firearm in her hands. "Let's see how you like my Gunner dressphere, shall we?" Giggling, Rikku looked hard into her team leader's eyes and pointed the weapon at him. "Bang!" she said as she fired off a single bullet at the clone, who barely managed to avoid the shot in time.

Eyes widening in shock at the speed of that projectile, the wood clone turned back to Rikku and began to figuratively sweat; as a clone made of wood, he couldn't really sweat for real. Seeing her grin widening, the clone quickly went through hand signs and called out: " **Wood Release: Underground Roots Technique!** " In an instant, roots began shooting up out of the ground, attempting to coil around Rikku and stop her from firing that weapon again.

Sadly for the clone, Rikku was faster and managed to perform a series of backflips to avoid the roots before she pointed her gun at the man and fired three more shots, each one hitting home in the clone's left shoulder, its right kneecap, and the final one right where the sun don't shine, causing the clone to let out a loud scream before he did the smart thing and dispelled himself. Giggling to herself, Rikku flashed the area where the clone burst apart a V sign with her fingers. "And that's how it's done!"

 _ **Meru vs. Wood Clone #2**_

Meru frowned as she took to the air in her Dragoon form. She didn't have to transform to defeat her designated clone, but she decided she would show him just the kind of foe he was messing with. So, taking hold of her hammer, the blue-haired young woman flew down at a speed that the clone didn't expect and began to unleash her D-Addition (Dragoon Addition) upon him. Hitting him once in the side with a powerful blow, she flew up again and around him, slamming her hammer into his back this time while he was still dazed from the first blow, and then took to the air once more. Rushing down, she hit him a few more times, each blow more devastating than the last, and, when she had finished raining blows upon him, Meru flew backwards and decided to unleash a spell on him for good measure.

So, raising her hand, Meru said with a devilish little smirk on her face, " **Freezing Ring**." As soon as she said this, a brilliant flash of light erupted and when it cleared, she had over a dozen shards of ice floating around her in a circle of water. After a moment, the Wingly dancer thrust her hand forward, palm facing Yamato, and sent the shards of ice flying at him. The wood clone was confused at first when, instead of hitting him, the shards of ice began to circle around him as well. Before he could act, they closed in on him and a large spear of ice shot out of the ground, impaling him upon it and causing him to let out a gasp before he crumbled apart into chunks of wood. "Take that!" Meru exclaimed excitedly before she landed upon the ground and exited her Dragoon form. "Nobody messes with Meru and you just found out why! Ha!"

 _ **Towa vs. Wood Clone #3**_

The wood clone facing off against Towa was finding it hard to get a blow in as Towa was on a furious assault, swinging her dagger at him time and time again as he ducked and weaved between her attacks. She wasn't getting frustrated or sloppy in her attacks either, as she wielded her dagger with shocking efficiency. After a moment, he fell for a feint and paid for it by getting a few quick cuts along his chest and right cheek. Deciding he needed to stop playing it easy and go on the offensive, the Yamato clone ducked under one of Towa's swings and landed a punch to her midsection, catching her by surprise and knocking the wind out of her.

Leaping backwards, the Wood Clone went through some hand signs and slammed his hands to the ground, yelling out, " **Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!** " This caused numerous earthen spikes to shoot out of the ground, making their way towards Towa who began to call upon her magic in an effort to counter his attack.

Thrusting her hand forward, palm facing Yamato just as Meru had done with her spell, Towa unleashed an extra powerful blast of ice that burst through the spears, stopping them in their tracks, and slammed into Yamato at full force. Smirking at him, she watched as the area where the clone was hit was flash frozen and he began to shiver. "Goodbye Mr. Clone." Towa said with a wicked grin on her face as she raised her hand towards the sky and called on her magic once again. Within an instant, a great bolt of lightning shot down and utterly destroyed the clone, leaving it as nothing more than a charred clump of wood due to the intensity of the lightning bolt.

 _ **Yang vs. Wood Clone #4**_

Yang was feeling a little hard-pressed when dealing with her designated wood clone. She had attempted to take him out in pure hand-to-hand combat, but he was proving to be quite the tough one to nail down. For every punch she threw, he'd either block it, redirect the blow to another part of his body, or just dodge it completely. Now normally, at this point, she'd get frustrated and her semblance would activate, causing her attacks to power up and giving her an extra boost of energy. However, over the course of the past few years that were spent in the company of people like Naruto and Jiraiya, she learned how to maintain control of her emotions...to a point.

When the wood clone reacted to a particularly vicious punch and threw her off balance, Yang snarled and was about to pound the living shit out of the wood clone in her ever growing frustration. However, what the clone did next cemented it for her, she was going to fucking **annihilate** her opponent. Yamato's wood clone had decided he wanted to see Yang at her best, and considering she mentioned having her hair cut as one of her dislikes, the clone withdrew a kunai and, with a quick flick of his wrist, used it to cut off a few loose strands of her hair.

Seeing this, the buxom blonde bombshell of a woman quickly grew _furious_ with the Yamato clone and proceeded to turn around and slam her fist into his face as hard as she could, unleashing a shot point blank that resulted in the wood clone's head exploding. Watching as it crumpled into wood chunks, Yang panted and glanced around with her furious red eyes. "Where the hell did the real one go?! I'm going to kill him!"

 _ **Blake vs. Wood Clone #5**_

Blake and her designated wood clone winced as they watched what happened to the other Yamato clone. Turning to her wood clone, the lovely young woman sighed and gave him a flat look. "Really? Did you _really_ have to cut some of her hair off? You couldn't just let it be, could you?" Blake asked irritably. Sighing, she shook her head in disbelief for a moment before she proceeded to perform a few hand seals and pointed her hands at her Yamato clone. " **Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder!** " she shouted as she sent a furious blast of lightning towards her clone.

The Yamato clone quickly flew through hand seals and shouted out, " **Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!** " before slamming his hands to the ground. Both Blake and the Yamato clone watched as a large wall of earth rose up between them, halting her attack, if only just barely. After the attack had finished, the clone hopped on top of the wall and looked down, hoping to spot Blake still there so he could ask her about the technique. From what he had heard, none of them were from this world and they didn't have a chakra network. So, how is it she was able to use one of their techniques?

Suddenly, he felt the sharp steel of a blade against his neck and sighed as he looked down at the obvious clone of Blake down below. "Very good Blake. Using your time wisely, I see." the clone said with a smile before its head was removed from his body by Gambol Shroud.

Watching as the clone crumbled before her into wooden chunks, Blake breathed a sigh of relief and shook her head. Glancing towards the direction she had last seen her girlfriend, the black-haired lass frowned when she saw that Yang wasn't there anymore. She had obviously gone off in search of the real Yamato, which meant she was going to end up interrupting his and Naruto's duel. _Oh well. It's his own fault for doing what he did._ she thought to herself with a small grin tugging at the corners of her lips.

 _ **Back with Naruto**_

Naruto backflipped from an attack made by Yamato and quickly threw out a couple of kunai in an effort to ward his new team leader off for a moment. Reacting quickly, Yamato deflected the kunai with one of his own and proceeded to begin going through hand seals for a technique. Before he could finish however, Naruto smirked at him and held up a sphere before going through a spherechange. Not wanting to see what this new outfit of his brought in terms of abilities, Yamato finished the hand seals for his jutsu and slammed his palms to the ground. " **Wood Release: Underground Roots Technique!** " he exclaimed, unknowingly mimicking his clone from earlier.

After the lightshow ended, Naruto smirked as he grasped a rather large blade and sported a new outfit in the style that samurai often wore. Quickly jumping over the roots and above Yamato, Naruto reached into his inner pocket before pulling out a large amount of coins. Before his new sensei could react, Naruto shouted out: " **Spare Change!** " and proceeded to unleash a hail of coins upon Yamato that caused him to bring up his arms in a feeble effort to defend himself from Naruto's attack.

Naruto watched as the unusual money attack left a variety of scratches and other such marks on his sensei. Upon landing, Naruto moved forward with surprising speed and swung his oversized blade in an effort to hit Yamato. Rushing through a quick set of hand seals, Yamato used the Replacement Technique to swap himself out for a log that was neatly sliced into two separate halves, showing off just how sharp and deadly Naruto's sword was. Thinking he was safe for the moment, as he had hidden himself as well as he could, Yamato wasn't expecting for Naruto to suddenly appear behind him and unleash another attack.

"You should pay more attention to your surroundings Yamato-sensei! **Sparkler**!" Naruto shouted as he unleashed a point blank firework that exploded in Yamato's face, dealing damage and stunning him in the process. Yamato screamed out from the pain he felt and stumbled backwards, rubbing at his face, trying to restore his vision after being temporarily blinded by the firework. When he could see again, albeit blearily, the wood-using man raised a hand and halted Naruto's impending attack.

"That's enough for now Naruto. I suppose I shouldn't have been holding back as much as I was. Good job." he praised, a smile on his face. Shaking his head, Yamato finished rubbing at his eyes and looked around once he could see clearly again. However, he wasn't prepared for Yang to come leaping out of the trees for him. Squawking in fear, Yamato used a hasty Replacement Technique to escape her attack and watched her from behind. "That was close. If you're finished with your test, why are you attacking me Yang?" he demanded.

Turning around, her eyes blazing a vicious red color as he hair flailed about, Yang raised up her left hand and pointed a single finger at him. "You! Your clone cut my hair! I am going to take a pound out of your ass for what he did to me!"

Blinking in shock at this, Yamato quickly tried to go through hand seals for a technique he knew that could contain her until she calmed down, but Yang was upon him too fast for him to finish. Yamato did his best to block her blows, but he found out real quickly that when she was enraged, her attacks _hurt_. So, he began avoiding them to the best of his ability until he was decked by a haymaker and sent crashing to the ground.

After this blow had been dealt, Yang releashed a calming breath and smirked down at him. "There, I feel so much better now. Thanks for taking it like a man Yamato. You're a peach." she said with a wide grin appearing on her face afterwards.

Yamato, meanwhile, groaned from the pain as he pushed himself back onto his feet. Turning his head, he spat out a small glob of blood and frowned at her. "Ouch." was all he deigned fit to say for a good while. After he took the time to think for a moment, he sighed and shook his head. "At least you've calmed down. For what it's worth, I'm sorry my clone had the oh so _brilliant_ idea of cutting your hair. Still, at least it worked to get your full focus on the fight, right?" he asked with a sweatdrop.

When Yang narrowed her eyes at him, Yamato quickly raised his hands up and shook them. "Hey, I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just saying I'm glad I got to see you go all out like that. And from the looks of it, your friends are all finished as well." the team leader said as he glanced towards the open field. "Let's go greet them, shall we?" Yamato asked with a smile.

Walking back into the field where the others were waiting, Yamato motioned for Yang and Naruto to take their places in the lineup and proceeded to clap his hands a couple of times as he turned to face them. "Very good, all of you." Nodding at his hidden shadow clone to dispel itself, Yamato waited until he got the memories and quirked a brow as he looked at Blake. "Well that's certainly interesting. How are you able to use such techniques when you don't have a chakra system?"

Giggling nervously at being put on the spot like this, Blake rubbed at the back of her head in a very Naruto-esque fashion before she began to explain. "Yang and I have aura. Jiraiya theorized that, because of how similar Aura works when compared to chakra, that she and I could learn how to utilize ninjutsu and genjutsu, as well as dabble in the arts of fuinjutsu if we so wished. So, after some researching and some trial and error processes, Jiraiya and Naruto managed to develop a seal that they proceeded to place on the palms of our hands." At this, Blake raised her hands and pointed them palms out towards Yamato so he could get a closer look at the seal. "Anyways, this seal converts our Aura into chakra and allows us to utilize such techniques, so long as we know of them and have practiced for some time. It took a while to build up the power in our techniques though, and they still aren't at the power that you ninjas are capable of, but we're getting there. It just requires that Yang and I practice more and get used to molding our Aura in such a way. We've been at it for about six months now, so it's still a work in progress. We first had to learn all the hand seals and what each hand seal is used for in terms of elemental nature and all that, but we've been making good progress according to both Naruto and Jiraiya." Blake explained with a smile.

Yamato nodded his head as he examined the seal on Blake's palms. "Remarkable. Truly, the wonders of fuinjutsu never cease to amaze me. What about Towa, Rikku, and Meru? Would this seal permit them to utilize jutsu as well?" he queried, feeling rather curious about the subject.

Shaking his head, Naruto decided to answer his sensei in place of the girls. "I'm afraid not. They don't have chakra _or_ Aura, and despite being able to use magic and other such abilities, there's no real network we'd be able to 'link with', so to speak, in terms of placing the seal. That seal would only work for people from Yang's and Blake's world." the blonde shinobi explained, a small frown appearing on his face at not being able to share the gift with any of the other girls.

"That's a shame. But it's not a big loss, considering what my clone saw from each of you, you all are more than capable of standing up to just about anything the world can throw at you, so it's fine." Yamato said, a smile appearing on his face. "Now, what do you say we go report to Tsunade-sama and then go get some lunch. On me of course." Receiving smiles and nods of the head in response, Yamato nodded and began to lead the way to the Hokage Tower. At least, he was until he saw a hawk flying overhead that he recognized as one used for emergencies, this one being a native of Sunagakure and the Land of Wind. Frowning, he decided to pick up the pace and motioned for the group to hurry up.

Upon arriving in the Hokage's Office, Yamato found her looking at a letter in her hands with a scowl on her face. "Hokage-sama, what's wrong? I saw the messenger hawk from Suna and hurried straight here with my team, as you can see."

Looking up at the group before her, a frown marring her pretty face, Tsunade shook her head and decided to explain. "It would seem that Gaara has been taken by the Akatsuki. More than that, Kankuro's been poisoned and they can't seem to cure him. Normally I'd send Sakura-chan with you, but I heard from Jiraiya that some of you are remarkable healers. Do you have any spells that could cure him of the poison plaguing him?" she asked hopefully.

Meru looked between her and Rikku for a moment before nodding at the Hokage. "Yes, Rikku could easily cure him. I could as well, but I think Rikku's the best fit for it with her White Mage dressphere. I have to ask, are you planning to send our team out on this mission Lady Hokage?"

Nodding her head, Tsunade placed the letter down and steepled her fingers in front of her face. "Yes Meru-san, I am. Yamato, I want you and your team to head out at once to Sunagakure. I'm sending Kakashi with you as I've no doubt his dog summons could easily help you track down the Akatsuki members that took Gaara. This is an order. I know you've got some problems with Kakashi, but I want you to put those feelings aside and work with him together to rescue Gaara. You're dismissed."

Hurrying out of the office and the tower as well, Team Yamato went their separate ways so they could quickly go about packing what they needed for this mission. Some time later, they were each at the village gate where Yamato and Kakashi were already waiting for them. Giving them his usual eye-smile, Kakashi gave a brief wave and decided to speak up in greeting. "Hello everyone. It's nice to see you again Naruto-kun. How've you been?"

Frowning at this, Naruto glanced away from Kakashi and turned his attention to Yamato. "I'm...fine Kakashi. Now, Yamato-sensei, we should hurry up and go, don't you think? Gaara's in trouble!" Naruto exclaimed impatiently.

Sighing at this, Yamato nodded his head reached up, putting a hand on Kakashi's shoulder to get his attention. When his senpai turned to him, Yamato shot a glance at Naruto out of the corner of his eye and shook his head. "Later senpai. You can try to talk to him later, after the mission, but I wouldn't get your hopes up." And with that, Yamato began barking out orders before the group all took off, Kakashi hesitating for just a moment before leaping off after them.

 _Naruto, I know I've wronged you in the past, but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for my treatment of you. I'm sorry…_ Kakashi thought to himself as he sped up to fall in line with them once more.

* * *

 **A/N: Again, I know I kept you all waiting for a long darn time for this chapter, and I'm sorry for that. Hopefully this chapter was good enough to tide you over for a little while, as I've come up with a few new ideas for fanfics that I'd like to begin working on soon. Or I could end up writing up a chapter for another of my fics. I dunno yet. Point is, I'll be working on something new as soon as I can. Thank you for the patience and understanding you've shown me thus far.**

 **Also, as I'm sure you'd like an explanation of why it took so long to get this chapter out, allow me to explain. For MONTHS I was without access to a proper computer. My old laptop died and took all of my progress down with it. I was then stuck using a Chromebook until I FINALLY got the money to purchase myself a new laptop. Unfortunately, I need to either purchase Microsoft Office or I need to find a dang product key that I can use to activate Microsoft Office again, because my 30 day free trial period ended and left me unable to work on this chapter AGAIN.**

 **I eventually said 'fuck it!' and decided to complete this chapter in Google Docs and download it as a Word document so I could upload it here for all of you to read.**

 **Also, I've been dealing with a LOOOT of crap from not just my family, but from a lot of other shit as well. I DO have good news though! I was approved for disability after having to go to a hearing and giving testimony as to my disabilities and whatnot. So I now have a steady source of income each month that's helping me out. I can't remember what else I was going to say here... Oh well. *shrugs* Again, hopefully you liked the chapter. If not...well...crud. lol**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N - Okay, first off, the title of this chapter is pretty much just a play on words. I couldn't think up a good title for this chapter, so just go with it. *shrugs* Second, my buddy Dragon and Sword Master really wanted to see another chapter of this story done next, and this was the next chapter listed on my schedule anyways, soooo...here it is. Hopefully you all enjoy it. So...read on and, y'know, enjoy! lol**

* * *

 **Chapter 5 - Saving a Kage on a Windy Day**

It didn't take long before the group came across Temari, who was on her way home to Sunagakure at a casual walking pace. Naruto leapt down to greet her and quickly let her know what happened and the group was back on track towards Suna at a brisk, yet measured pace so as not to tire themselves out too quickly. After all, it wouldn't do to reach Suna just to be too wiped out to be of any use to anyone upon arrival.

As they kept up their pace, Temari couldn't help but glance around at all of Naruto's companions and voice a question. "So, Naruto, who are your companions? The only person I recognize is Kakashi-san. I don't even see Sakura anywhere. I thought for sure she'd be with you. Didn't you used to have a really big crush on her?" she asked inquisitively.

Naruto sighed and shook his head at this point as he looked at his friend out of the corner of his eye. "Temari, a lot has changed over the past three years. _I've_ changed." he said seriously. "I can't discuss the details in depth, but suffice it to say, I've developed some interesting powers and as a result of said powers, I met these wonderful women you see here with us. Their names are Rikku, Meru, Towa, Yang Xiao-Long, and Blake Belladonna. My new team captain is Yamato. I am no longer part of Team Kakashi. He was assigned to the team temporarily due to his summons' ability to track down the people that took your brother." Naruto explained.

After a moment, he closed his eyes for a short time and took in a deep breath before releasing it slowly and opening his eyes again, continuing to hop from tree to tree. "As for Sakura...I still care for her. But I...I turned her down when I returned to the village because at the time I was in a relationship with Rikku and I wanted to stay loyal to her. Then I was called into a council meeting and slapped with the CRA and now...now I don't know. I'm with these lovely women now...and I haven't talked with them about it yet. Sakura used to abuse me every chance she got...but I still have feelings for her. They never went away. Yeah, I moved on from her and became happy with Rikku-chan and the others here with me now. But I never stopped caring for Sakura-chan. How could I?" Naruto said, a frown on his face. He felt guilty and it showed on his face.

Before anyone else could say anything, Rikku hopped up next to her boyfriend and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently as they continued to hop from tree to tree. "Sweetie, why didn't you say anything sooner? We could have talked about this between all of us. If you truly care about her still...we...well...we could talk to her for you and see what her true intentions are. If she truly wants to make amends and be with you in a romantic light and has no intentions of abusing you again...then I think we would be okay with that. But it's something we'd have to communicate with each other about to be completely sure about. Sakura was never that great of a person to you after all, so it's only right for us to be worried about you when it comes to her. Even though the Sakura we met before seemed to be a truly changed individual, we can't be too sure. She might still be a meaniepants!" Rikku said, an adorable pout on her face.

Chuckling at this, Naruto leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his fiance's lips and smiled reassuringly at her. "I love you Rikku-chan and I always will. If you and the others say that you don't approve of Sakura joining our relationship, then I won't approach her about it. I want us _all_ to be in agreement about it before we allow anyone to join our family. I just want all of us to be happy together." he said, smiling happily all the while.

Temari was smiling at this and hopped up beside Naruto on his other side before placing a gentle hand upon his shoulder. "I'm glad you've found happiness Naruto. You deserve it. You and my brother both. I do hope you'll be inviting us to your wedding when the time comes?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow and an expectant look in her eyes.

Chuckling softly, Naruto nodded and wrapped an arm around Temari in a hug. "Of course Temari-chan. I wouldn't dare think about leaving you three out of it. Now, what do you say we hurry up and get to Suna so we can save Kankuro and then go rescue Gaara, hm?" he suggested, a big smile on his face as he sped up again, causing his friends and family to groan as they did their best to try and keep up with him.

Meanwhile, in the back, Kakashi could only watch on and listen in on the conversations taking place in front of him. _You've grown so much Naruto. I feel like I've failed you in so many ways. I should have been there to guide you, and yet I just...wasn't there. I hope you'll let me make it up to you in some way. I really do. You've done so well for yourself and you've even found love in five beautiful women. I have to admit I'm rather envious of you my pupil, if I even have the right to call you that anymore. And...I'm glad you are willing to allow Sakura back into your life at the very least. I hope that you'll allow me back in too, given time._

 _ **5 hours later - Sunagakure Hospital**_

The group was frustrated as they entered the hospital room where Kankuro laid in critical condition. They should have arrived a couple hours earlier, but they were delayed by a blasted sandstorm and had to wait it out. Meru had said that if it wasn't a sandstorm of such a grand scale, she could have used her magic to dispel it, but alas, it was raging too fiercely for her to do anything about it. So, as said before, all they could do was wait it out.

Still, here they were, and now Rikku was looking down at Kankuro and analyzing him to the best of her ability. He truly looked like he was on death's door. Frowning, she quickly donned her White Mage dressphere and held up her staff with one hand while hovering her other hand over his body with the other. After a moment of intense concentration, she shouted out loud, " **Esuna!** " Within seconds, Kankuro's complexion began to brighten and his skin tone began to return to normal. He stopped sweating and his body relaxed. No longer was he in any pain and he seemed to return to normal.

Temari went wide-eyed at how easy a process this was for the girl beside her. Looking into her eyes, she couldn't help but be completely floored. She was _powerful_! Before Rikku could utter a word, the Suna kunoichi wrapped her up in a hug and buried her face in the crook of her neck. "Thank you. Thank you for saving my idiot brother. That was amazing. I don't know how you did that, but...thank you."

Giggling a bit, Rikku simply wrapped her arms around Temari and smiled at her. "Aww, it was no problem Temari. It was just a simple magic spell. Didn't even take anything outta me. All I gotta do is concentrate a little and presto blammo, you're cured! Pretty cool, huh?" she said with a giggle following. "Still, as long as I can help people out, I'm all for it. Now, we should probably let him rest for a bit." she suggested. "Once he wakes up, we should ask him if he has any idea which direction those goons left in, because right now we don't have any leads. Unfortunately." Rikku said with a pout.

Temari sighed and was about to say something in agreement when they heard a commotion from out in the hallway. Quickly rushing out of the room, they saw an old woman attacking Kakashi, shouting something about the White Fang, much to Blake and Yang's shock. Naruto quickly patted them both on the shoulder though and explained to them that Kakashi's father was called the White Fang of Konoha, which quickly eased their worries and cleared up their confusion.

Once the woman had been calmed, she was introduced as Lady Chiyo, one of the village elders and a powerful puppeteer, as well as the grandmother of Sasori of the Red Sands, a member of the Akatsuki and one of those that kidnapped Gaara, Godaime Kazekage of Sunagakure. After introductions were made, the group were seated in the waiting room and proceeded to wait patiently for Kankuro to awaken.

While they were waiting, Rikku decided now was as good a time as any to begin having that 'talk' she wanted to have with the other girls. So, leaving Naruto where he was sitting, she motioned for the other girls to join her and they walked off to the other side of the waiting room and sat down together so they could begin discussing their feelings for their blonde hunk of a boyfriend.

"Alright, now that we have some time, I want to talk about your feelings for my fiance. Just...just when did you realize you were all in love with him? How long?" Rikku asked, a small frown on her face as she asked this question.

Meru frowned at this and glanced away, looking towards Naruto for a moment with a longing gaze before she looked back into her best friend's eyes with a determined gaze. "I realized my feelings for him six months before you and he got together. That means I've been in love with him for at least a year now Rikku. Possibly longer before I realized it. I just...I didn't act on my feelings. And when you and he got together...I thought I had lost my chance. I felt crushed and I started to hate myself for not acting sooner. But at the same time...I was happy for the two of you because you two are my best friends. I love you both and I want you to know that." she explained with the smallest of smiles on her face, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

Rikku looked saddened by how upset her friend was and quickly wrapped her up in a hug. "It's okay Meru. I'm sorry you had to hurt by yourself for so long. Naru...he's got such a big heart and I promise he can make us both happy. _All_ of us happy." she said, tears trickling down her cheeks as she held her best friend and surrogate sister close.

After a moment, Rikku pulled away from her dear friend and looked at the duo from Remnant. "And you two? When did you realize your feelings for my hunky man, hm? And what made you fall for the good ball of sunshine?"

Yang chuckled a bit at how Rikku described Naruto before Blake nudged her with her elbow and told her to be serious. So with a sigh, the blonde nodded once and looked hard into Rikku's eyes. "Well, I kinda realized it about four months ago. Blakey here's been interested in him for about a whole year now though. My reason though? Does one really need a reason for falling in love with someone? The heart wants what the heart wants right? But if I had to give a reason, or reason _s_ , well, he's a really great guy. He's just so sweet and charming. He's also a great big ball of energy and he's just so much fun to be with. Naruto's also got a hell of a mischievous side if his past pranks are anything to go on and I can't wait to help him unleash some real chaos back in the village with some new pranks when we get the chance." she said with a grin and a laugh. "There's a lot of reasons I guess, but I think I've said enough, don't you? How about you Kitty Cat?"

Blake blushed at the nickname before swatting Yang on the arm. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that in front of others?" She sighed and shook her head, her cat ears drooping atop her head. "Never mind. You're never going to stop are you?" Seeing Yang grinning at her was answer enough, so the Faunus woman sighed again and shook her head. "Oh well."

Looking at Rikku determinedly, Blake nodded once before straightening herself in her chair. "Like Yang said, I've been in love with him for an entire year now. And I don't need a reason to be in love with him. But if you really need me to say something to explain it, I will. He and I are alike in many ways. He doesn't judge me for being a Faunus just like I don't judge him for being a Jinchuriki. He helped me realize that I don't need to hide who and what I am. I no longer wear my bow to conceal my ears because of him. He...he likes me for what I am. Naruto thinks...he thinks I'm pretty as I am. He likes my extra appendages and pets my ears and...it feels good."

Blake was blushing at this point and had to cover her eyes with her hands in embarrassment and to hide the fact that she was about to cry from a mixture of emotions. "Naruto is such a wonderful man. I love spending time with him. I can't get enough of being in his presence. Just being near him is intoxicating. All I want is to be with him and Yang as much as possible. I love them both so much. His scent, his touch, his laugh, his eyes, his everything...it's all too much to bear. I need him as much as I need my Yang. So please don't take this chance to be happy away from me Rikku. I need him." Blake pleaded, looking into Rikku's eyes with a pleading expression, tears trickling down her cheeks.

Rikku was stunned, floored even by what she just heard from Blake. Looking to Yang, she could see a supportive smile on the girl's face as she wrapped her girlfriend in a hug and held her close, rubbing her back up and down to try and comfort her. Yang was sending a look her way as if telling her: 'I told you so.' Closing her eyes, Rikku nodded once in acceptance and leaned back in her seat, a soft smile of acceptance coming across her face. _Well if that isn't true, genuine love, I don't know what is._

"Okay. Welcome to the family Yang, Blake. Now what about you Towa? I thought you were still on the fence about the whole love thing after what happened between you and the scumbag that married Toki in your world?" Rikku questioned, genuinely curious about Towa's feelings on this matter.

Towa chuckled a bit and shook her head. "I realized my feelings about three months ago. I tried to simply deny them and say that I wasn't feeling anything for Naruto, and that worked for the most part because, well... _you_ were his girlfriend/fiance. I wasn't about to come between the two of you, and I wasn't interested in trying out a relationship again after what happened with Zack. But...as time went on, I realized that Naruto was so much different from Zack and would never hurt me like Zack did. And then when Naruto was put in the CRA and I gave my advice to Meru, not sorry about that by the way," Towa said to Rikku with a large grin on her face, "I figured I'd go ahead and take my own advice and give a relationship with Naruto a shot. Sooo...here I am. I want to be with Naruto too. So if you'll let me be a part of this family you're all a part of, I'd be very happy with you." the former princess said with a smile on her face.

Smiling at her blonde-haired friend, Rikku nodded once and hugged her. "Of course. I'd rather share him with all of you than with someone we can't trust. Though now comes the question of what to do about Sakura. How do you all feel about her? I mean, from the stories we've heard, she used to clobber him a lot for the stupidest reasons! But...she seems like she's changed for the better and has genuine feelings for him now. When we left her, did you see the state she was in after Naruto's rejection? I felt kinda bad for her." Rikku said, a little concerned about the situation.

Sighing at this, Towa decided to voice her opinion on the matter. "Personally, I don't care if she's changed or not. I don't trust her with _our_ Naruto. Who's to say she won't go right back to clobbering him for the dumbest of reasons? **Nobody** hurts our Naruto for _any_ reason." she said fiercely.

Yang spoke up at this point with a counterpoint. "Well, say we give her a chance. What if we made it perfectly clear to her that _if_ we give her a chance, that she can't hit Naruto for _any_ reason, even if he does something stupid that she doesn't like? Besides, I think she deserves a chance just like we do."

Meru decided to speak up and be the voice of reason at this point. "I say that we wait until we return to Konoha before we make a decision about this. While you both make good points, it would be best that we speak with Sakura about this and see exactly what made her change her feelings regarding Naruto. We can speculate all we want right now, but we shouldn't make any hasty decisions without first confronting her. Agreed?"

Looking around at each other, the others nodded in agreement and looked back at Meru. "Agreed." they all said as one.

Before anymore could be said, a nurse came out and informed the group that Kankuro was awake and wanted to see them. So, entering his room, Temari quickly rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly, tears in her eyes as she told him how stupid he was, but also how glad she was he was alright. However, Kankuro was more focused on the others in the room that he didn't recognize. However, rather than ask about them, he looked to Kakashi and Naruto and presented to them a piece of Sasori's cloak. "Use this to find my brother. Bring him back. Maybe once you've brought him back, then you can tell me who all these people are." he said with a chuckle.

Naruto smiled at him and gave him a nod. "Sure thing Kankuro. You just get some rest and leave rescuing Gaara to us. We'll get him back here in no time, just you watch. Those Akatsuki bastards won't know what hit 'em!" he said with confidence. With that said, the group left the hospital room and, before Temari could go with them, Chiyo turned to her and told her that she was to stay behind and take care of things in the Kazekage's absence. Meanwhile, Chiyo would join the group in her place to go and punish her 'misbehaving' grandson.

Now, in the past, Naruto would have questioned Chiyo about this due to her age and asked if she was sure she could keep up or if she needed any help, but he knew better now and figured that if she was willing to come along that she must be sure of her skills. So, together with someone he affectionately nicknamed 'Granny' Chiyo, the large group quickly made their way out of Suna and began to follow Sasori's trail.

Shortly after arriving in the Land of Rivers, the large group were stopped by Itachi Uchiha, another member of the Akatsuki. Quickly, Naruto shouted to his girlfriends not to look into his eyes and each of them quickly looked at his feet instead. Itachi apparently found humor in this as he chuckled. After a moment, he spoke up. "It's good to see you again Naruto-kun. Do tell me; how have you been?"

"Better than you've been, I'm sure. But we're not here to talk. Get out of the way Itachi, we need to rescue Gaara. I won't let you assholes kill him." Naruto declared angrily. There was no way he'd let this asshole delay him for long. So, moving his hands behind his back, he quickly began going through a series of hand seals before darting forward as fast as he could. Once he was within range, Naruto lifted his head until his mouth was level with Itachi's chest and shouted his technique within his mind. _**Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!**_ In an instant, a large fireball spewed forth from Naruto's mouth and engulfed Itachi's form.

However, it wasn't meant to be as Itachi had performed a quick Substitution Technique and replaced himself with a log behind Yamato and proceeded to use a Great Fireball Technique of his own to attack him from behind. However, Yamato was prepared for this and quickly erected a wall of mud to protect himself from the attack. Rikku smirked at this point and quickly donned her Dark Knight dressphere and cast Bio on Itachi, catching him off guard due to the unusual nature of the magic spell. Unused to the attack, Itachi was stunned for a moment, but that was it. Rikku looked surprised at the fact that Itachi wasn't poisoned, but then a look of realization came to her face. Before she could say anything though, Itachi turned his attention onto her.

Deciding that the girl was the most dangerous opponent out of the bunch, despite the others being unknowns currently, he turned on her and prepared to attack before he was forced to dodge a hammer strike from the side by Meru. Suddenly he felt himself slowing down and looked sluggishly towards his right to see the blonde with with her hair done up in a ponytail smirking at him while waving goodbye to him. _Shit._ was Itachi's last thought as he felt multiple attacks land and he collapsed to the ground, his clone technique dispelling.

When Chiyo got a look at the body laying before them, she frowned and shook her head. "I almost can't believe it. This is one of our men. It's no wonder, then, that the Akatsuki got into our village so easily. This stupid bastard was a traitor and a spy. Come, we'd best hurry." she said before scoffing and quickly taking off, following Pakkun as he began to hurry off in the direction of Sasori's trail once more.

Naruto frowned a moment at the body before turning and taking off after the others. _That was almost_ too _easy Itachi. It's almost like you just_ let _us have that win. But why? What's in it for you to let us pass so easily? Or were you really not expecting my girls to have such abilities? Did we catch you off guard so badly that you just couldn't counter any of our attacks? Which was it I wonder?_ He pondered curiously, a frown on his face as he hurried along.

 _ **Ten minutes later - Akatsuki's Cave Hideout**_

Upon arriving at the hideout where the Akatsuki were waiting, Team Yamato met up with Team Guy and soon found out that they had had a run-in with a clone of Kisame, another member of the Akatsuki. None of that was important right now though. What _was_ important was dealing with the huge boulder in their way as well as the seal tag affixed atop it. Naruto frowned and decided to speak up. "That looks like a five point barrier seal. Normally we'd need to find the other four seal tags and remove them all at once, but I can easily slap a counter seal on the one here and negate that particular issue. However, the problem comes from the boulder. Hey Meru, think you can do something about that?" Naruto questioned, looking to his beautiful blue-haired girlfriend.

Smiling, Meru nodded once emphatically and grinned at him while flexing a muscle. "You betcha Naruto! Just take care of that annoying seal and I'll show you how it's done!"

Chuckling at this, Naruto nodded once and quickly set about making a counter seal. Once he was finished, he hopped up onto the rock wall and made his way to the seal before slapping the counter seal atop the five point barrier seal and shouting out: " **Dispel Seal: Release!** " and with a pulse of chakra that could be felt for well over three miles, the five point barrier seal was cancelled.

As soon as the barrier seal was nullified, Meru waited just a second for her boyfriend to leap away before she revealed her wings and charged some magic into her hands. In an instant, a large fireball appeared in her hands. "Take this you stupid rock! Hope you enjoy some Wingly magic! Ha!" And with that, she shot the powerful fireball forward and watched as it impacted against the rock and exploded in a brilliant flash of flames and light, forcing everyone to cover their eyes.

When the light died down enough for everyone to be able to see again, they were stunned. **Nothing** remained of the giant boulder! Not even a single pebble. The entire thing had been completely vaporized! Obviously, whatever she had just used was _incredibly_ powerful and none of the ninja there wanted to get on her bad side. Ever!

Seeing all of the ninja looking at her with bewildered looks, well, beside Naruto of course, Meru shrugged her shoulders and asked, "What? If you're done staring, shouldn't we get in there and rescue Gaara now?"

Snapping out of their stupors, the large group quickly rushed into the cave and what they saw quickly soured their moods. They saw the two Akatsuki members, and one of them was sitting upon the deceased Kazekage of Suna. Naruto clenched and unclenched his fists, anger boiling over within him. His chakra was spiking almost uncontrollably within him, but he maintained his cool and stayed in control of himself. Still, he decided to speak up. "You...you bastards. How dare you do this to him?" he growled out.

At this, Deidara smirked and looked directly at him. "Ah, you must be the Kyuubi Jinchuriki, hm? We were told about you. You seem much calmer than we were told though. Especially considering we just killed your dear friend here. Too bad, so sad, hm." he said in a mocking tone of voice.

"You talk too much." Sasori said to his partner. Looking around at all their opponents, the shorter of the two individuals frowned beneath his cloak and shook his head. "We're at a severe disadvantage here Deidara. If we aren't careful, we could die here today. Take this seriously or you _will_ perish."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't get your panties in a bunch." Deidara brushed him off, much to Sasori's irritation. "Just watch, this'll be easy. Now, what say we have some fun?" the blonde bomber said with a chuckle as he hopped on his clay bird and had it swallow Gaara before flying out of the cave and making off with him.

Naruto frowned at this and quickly began barking out orders. "Sorry Yamato-sensei, but I know my girls better than you do. Rikku, Towa, stay here and help Yamato-sensei and Granny Chiyo take down Sasori. Guy-sensei, Neji, Lee, please back them up. You can't really help against a flyer like Deidara-teme. Meru, Yang, Blake, Kakashi-sensei, and Tenten, you're with me. We're going after the blonde bastard that took Gaara. We can't let him get away!" he ordered quickly before dashing out of the cave in pursuit of Deidara.

Kakashi smirked at Yamato and nodded his head. "Well, you heard him. I think his idea sounds great. Good luck Yamato. Everyone, let's go!" Kakashi said before rushing off with his team while the others stayed behind to help take on Sasori.

Sasori frowned as he was left alone with a rather large group of people. Sure there weren't as many as before, but he knew that he was in for the fight of his life. Quickly, he lashed out with his tail, aiming to take out his grandmother at the very least with this attack. When she quickly dodged, he was preparing to open up his mouth to unleash thousands of senbon needles laced with a highly potent toxin, but something happened before anyone could even react…

Towa, getting an incredibly bad feeling that something was about to happen that nobody could possibly prepare for, quickly activated her Time Surge spell and sped up time around herself. Quickly, she rushed forward faster than anyone could possibly see and unleashed her most powerful Earth and Fire spells on Sasori in that order, thus causing a Chemistry spell to be unleashed that caused a pool of lava to open up beneath Sasori that began to pull his puppet body into it.

When time returned to normal, Towa quickly ran away from Sasori and back to her companions while Sasori's puppet body took the attacks and was quickly destroyed, forcing him to reveal his true body. He was **furious** at being bested so easily by some blonde bitch! "I don't know how you did that, but it won't happen again. Prepare to meet my favorite puppet." he said with a manic grin on his face as he opened up a scroll and summoned forth the Sandaime Kazekage, master of the Iron Sand.

Chiyo couldn't help but frown in sadness at her grandson. "So you're the one that killed him. I can't believe you would stoop so low Sasori. How despicable you've become." she said, shaking her head in sadness and disappointment. Unsealing a scroll of her own, she called forth her Father and Mother puppets and prepared to do battle with her 'precious' grandson.

Sasori scoffed at this and shook his head. "What? Do you think I'll have some kind of emotional response at seeing my parents again Grandma Chiyo? Hardly. They'll be destroyed like the cheap puppets they are." he said with malice in his voice.

Rikku, having enough of the talking, spherechanged into her Gun Mage dressphere. Once changed, she did a little spin and smiled cheerily before pointing her magic gun at Sasori and speaking up. "Time to take you and your puppet down like the small fry you are. **Mortar!** " she shouted as she took aim and fired upon the Sandaime Kazekage puppet, launching a mortar blast that quickly tore through the air towards her opponent.

Not willing to risk having his puppet destroyed, Sasori had his puppet erect a large barrier of iron sand in the way of the attack, but he and the others were shocked beyond belief when Rikku's attack tore right through the wall of iron sand and continued on its way, tearing right through the Sandaime Kazekage, destroying it in one blast.

Sasori couldn't help it. He collapsed to his knees and stared in utter horror at the monsters before him. For that is all they could be. One of the women had destroyed his Hiruko puppet so fast nobody could see her move. And this one had unleashed some attack that couldn't be stopped, even by the Sandaime Kazekage's Iron Sand! They were **monsters**! Plain and simple. Sasori knew it in his heart that he was going to die if he stayed here, but he also knew that he wasn't going to get away. So, with a resigned sigh, he opened up his chest and summoned forth his ultimate weapon, his army of 100 puppets.

Chiyo couldn't help but chuckle to herself at how she didn't even get the chance to use her Mother and Father puppets before resealing them and calling forth her ten puppets that she would use for this fight. She hadn't expected for Naruto's girlfriends to be quite so strong, but she was pleasantly surprised.

It didn't take long for everyone to get into the fight, lashing out and striking down every puppet they came across. Guy and Lee worked together in an extraordinary fashion, screaming about youth this and youth that, much to the annoyance of everyone there. Neji was striking them down with brutal efficiency, severing the chakra strings connecting them to Sasori and doing his best to protect both himself and those close to him.

Rikku and Towa were working together to destroy as many puppets as they could. Rikku was using her Dismantle Fiend Hunter ability on the puppets due to how similar these puppets were to machina and it seemed to be working quite well, destroying them in spectacular explosions of wooden showers. Towa was blasting them away with magic and, for those that got too close, she would cut them down with her dagger. Bullets were a precious commodity and she didn't want to waste those she had on these pathetic wooden creatures.

Chiyo was having the time of her life, having not had a good fight like this in quite a long time. She was easily dispatching quite a number of puppets with her army of ten. Sure she had lost a few of them in the battle, but she could repair them later...if she lived to see tomorrow. Otherwise she'd leave her puppets to Kankuro to look after. Yamato on the other hand was making clever use of his Wood and Earth Release jutsus to destroy as many puppets as possible.

When all the puppets had been destroyed, they went after Sasori, who seemed to have a few more tricks up his sleeve as he unleashed torrents of flames from his hands towards them, forcing them to dodge out of the way and keep on the move so as not to be incinerated. Guy and Lee removed their weights and quickly vanished in bursts of speed, appearing on either side of Sasori and kicked him as hard as they could, causing him to go flipping end over end through straight up through the air.

As he began to plummet, Rikku took aim at his heart and smirked at him. "Say goodnight buster! Blammo!" and with that, she pulled the trigger on her gun and fired, watching with satisfaction as her bullet pierced his heart and he came crashing to the ground in a heap.

Seeing as he was now dying, Sasori chuckled a bit before coughing. Motioning for the group to come closer, he waited until they were close enough to him before speaking up. "I might as well leave you all with a parting gift. I...I was to meet a spy of mine in Orochimaru's service in a week's time. The meeting was to take place on Tenchi Bridge. If...if you want to get that Uchiha of yours back, that's the best time to strike." Sasori said with a chuckle before the light finally left his eyes and he passed on into the afterlife.

Taking a moment to digest the information, Yamato sighed and shook his head. "A spy in Orochimaru's care, hm? Hokage-sama will want to hear this. Though I can't say for sure what she'll want done about the Uchiha. He _is_ a traitor after all." he stated with a casual shrug of his shoulders. "Let's reconvene with the others. They should be done with their foe by now." he said. "If not, we should back them up." And with that, the group quickly vacated the cave and proceeded to rush off in search of the others.

 _ **Earlier with Naruto's Team**_

As they chased after Deidara, Naruto was trying to think of some way they could knock the blonde bomber out of the sky. After a moment, he glanced to Meru and decided to ask her if she could do something. "Meru-chan. Do you think you could fly up there and knock him off of that bird? If you don't feel comfortable with it, that's okay. I don't want to put you at risk." he said.

Meru smiled sweetly at him and patted his cheek a few times before spreading her wings and smirking at him. "Just watch this Naruto." she said before taking off faster than Deidara expected and appeared in front of him, halting the Akatsuki member in his tracks. Before he could react, she swung her hammer at him and forced him to lower his bird to avoid the attack. However, Meru's initial attack was a feint. Lowering one of her hands, she revealed that she had charged it up with some of her Wingly magic and unleashed a point blank lightning blast directly into his face, causing him to not only feel immense pain shoot throughout his entire being, but for him to also go flying off his bird and to crash down into the forest below.

Giggling at her success, Meru smirked down at her boyfriend and gave him a cheeky grin and a thumbs up. "Told ya I could do it Naru! Now let's go kick his butt!" she exclaimed before flying off in search of Deidara, completely forgetting about the bird plummeting towards the water below.

Naruto quickly looked at the others with him and nodded towards the bird and then in the direction Meru left in. "Kakashi and Tenten, you're with me. We're going to get Gaara's body to safety. Yang, Blake, you two go help Meru with Deidara. We'll catch up as soon as we can." he said before leaping off towards the bird that was nearing the water at an alarming speed, Kakashi and Tenten hot on his heels.

Yang turned to Blake and nodded, the both of them quickly hurrying off after Meru to assist her in taking down Deidara for good. Upon arriving at the battle scene, they saw their friend donned in her Dragoon armor and fending off a veritable army of clay creatures and Deidara panting heavily as he did his best to keep up the fight. Obviously he was struggling just to keep up the fight, let alone stay standing.

When the blonde bomber saw that the two of them had arrived on the scene, his eyebrow twitched a few times and he quickly began to send some of his explosive clay creations their way to try and buy himself some time to recover.

Blake, quickly sensing the danger behind these things, warned her girlfriend about the danger. "Careful Yang, these things are dangerous. I don't know exactly what they can do, but I'd rather not find out. Don't just rush recklessly into this, okay?" she cautioned, hopeful that her girlfriend would heed her advice. "Don't let them get on you, whatever you do. In fact, try to avoid contact with them entirely. Try to go directly for Deidara instead. If we take him out, we should be able to stop his creations in their entirety."

Yang smiled reassuringly at her girlfriend and nodded once. "Gotcha Blakey. I'll be careful, I promise. Let's do this!" the blonde bombshell said before she rushed forward, weaving through the clay creations to the best of her ability, dodging them, leaping over them, ducking under them, whatever it took to keep them off of her. When she couldn't avoid them, she shot them with blasts from her Ember Celica gauntlets and quickly found out that they were clay _explosives_ of all things! Glancing at her girlfriend out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Blake saw what she did and nodded in her direction before she resumed her rush towards Deidara, desperate to take the bastard out before anything bad could happen.

Blake, on the other hand, was trying to dwindle the number of clay explosives alongside Meru. Thanks to the superior reach of her katana, Gambol Shroud, and her ability to throw it and twirl it and swing it around, she was able to make quick work of the explosives from a safe distance, unlike her girlfriend, who was a close-range/melee combatant. So, Blake made it her personal goal to provide covering fire, of sorts, for her girlfriend and kept the enemies off of her to the very best of her ability while also dealing with any that got too close to her and Meru.

However, Blake didn't notice one of the clay spiders that had managed to slip around behind her and Meru. It slowly crawled up the back of her leg and latched itself onto her back and began to glow brightly before exploding, catching everyone by surprise as she screamed out in horror, surprise, and agony.

Yang was caught by surprise by what happened to her girlfriend and stared in horror at where she was as smoke covered her form. However, rather than allow herself to become overcome by grief, she turned her attention onto Deidara and allowed her rage to take hold, activating her berserker form, her hair flailing wildly and her eyes turning red. "You rotten **bastard**! I'll fucking **murder** you!" Yang shouted as she charged forward, completely obliterating any obstacles in her way and completely shrugging off any explosions that followed as she neared her target, much to his shock and horror.

Meanwhile, as this was happening, Naruto, Kakashi, and Tenten had arrived on scene just as Blake had been caught in the explosion. Naruto's eyes had widened in horror and tears began to flow from his eyes, trickling slowly down his cheeks as he feared the worst. "No...no...Blake! Blaaaaake!" he screamed before glaring towards Deidara. "You rotten bastard! **Die!** " he yelled out before he felt his powers activating again and, out of nowhere, another portal opened up in front of him. "Shit...not again."

 _ **Pandora - Same time**_

 _No...this wasn't supposed to happen. What...what's going on?_ She couldn't believe it. She _refused_ to believe it. She and her friends had just won a fierce battle. They had got past the death wall. They had stormed all the way through that fucking fortress and destroyed that fucking BNK3R after a long, hard battle with that and a ton of fucking turrets and Loaders and...God that was just complete and utter **chaos**! And then...then in Control Core Angel, after being granted access with fucking Handsome Jack's voice, which Axton still hated having by the way, they had fought another, long fucking battle after finding out that Angel was a freaking _Siren_ of all things! Then again, it made sense, all things considered.

But...then, after Angel died, while they were talking...Handsome Jack showed up and shot Roland! Roland...he collapsed dead before them. Gaige...she just couldn't believe it. She had to admit that she had grown fond of the Soldier. He was a good guy and, despite his quirks, he was kind and treated them like family. She liked that about him. But now...now he was gone thanks to this rotten fucking **bastard**!

But before she could do anything, Lilith tried to attack him. It was at this point that Jack slapped some kind of collar around Lilith's neck and ordered her to attack the six of them. Naturally, Lilith refused and began to try and teleport them away, but Gaige blinked and looked behind her as she sensed something was off. There, before her very eyes, a strange tear in the fabric of space & time was just floating there. How did she know this? Well, she was a genius of course! Unfortunately, before she could do or say anything, Lilith's attempt at teleporting everyone caused Gaige to be pushed forward into the tear in space/time while the other five were teleported away. Sighing as she resigned herself to her fate, Gaige just hoped that wherever she ended up, she'd get to kill someone or something because she was _pissed_.

 _ **Back in the Elemental Nations**_

When Gaige fell out of the portal and landed on her rump, she groaned and quickly stood up before rubbing her bum. "Ouch. Talk about a rough landing." she said somewhat grouchily. Looking behind her, she watched as the tear in space/time closed itself before she looked forward again and saw a spiky-haired blonde looking at her alongside a cyclops and a bun-haired girl with a giant scroll on her back. Turning to face the other direction, she saw some blonde chick trying to kill some pretty boy blonde and quickly deduced that this group had some beef with him. Turning back to the others, she decided to ask them a question. "Hey, any of you have any objections with me killing that pretty boy blonde over there? I'm kinda in a pissed off mood right now and need to let off some steam." she questioned, a small scowl on her face.

Blinking at this strange request, Kakashi decided to answer her request for the three of them before Naruto could say anything. "Feel free. He is our enemy after all." he said with an eye smile.

Smiling at the silver-haired cyclops, Gaige whipped out her shock SMG and skipped off towards Deidara, whistling a merry little tune as she did. Once she was close enough, she took aim and unleashed a hail of electric bullet hell on him. The bullets flew so fast and so many that he didn't have time to dodge out of the way in time. Deidara was struck so many times by his weakness that he collapsed to the ground, convulsing and eventually succumbing to his injuries. Gaige approached him once he had passed out and pointed her explosive pistol at his head and fired it point blank into his skull, watching as it exploded in a shower of blood, bone, and brain matter, completely uncaring that a chunk of it got onto her legs and clothes.

Returning to the others, she offered up a smile and a wave as she slipped her pistol away. "Hiya! The name's Gaige. Who're you guys?" she asked cheerily. Though inside she was still a mess after Roland's death, she decided to try and make the most of her new situation. She was a girl that could adapt to most any situation after all, and she still had her best buddy Deathtrap after all, so she would be alright in the end.

Naruto wasn't concerned with Gaige right now however. Instead, he offered the girl a quick apology and rushed past her to where Blake was and smiled as he saw her coughing and curled up on the ground. She was hurt, but not terribly so. It was obvious that her Aura took the brunt of the damage. Yang hurried over and knelt down, pulling her girlfriend into a hug and held her tightly. Naruto knelt down and wrapped them both up in a hug as well, happy that they were both alright. He was incredibly worried about the both of them and was just happy that everyone was alright.

It was this scene that everyone else arrived to. At first they were confused about the new girl on the scene, but they figured they'd question that later. Instead, the more important topic was the second Akatsuki member and the whereabouts of the Kazekage. So, Yamato decided to voice the question they were all thinking. "Alright, where is Deidara and who is the girl?"

Gaige looked at the new people and then looked at the strange guy and smirked. "If you're talking about the blonde pretty boy, I killed him. Just blew his brains out after pumping him full of zappy bullets from Hell and BOOM! One seriously dead villain for the pleasure of yours truly. As for me? I'm Gaige. Nice to meetcha creepy-looking dude!" she said with a grin on her face.

Naruto chuckled at this and looked over at the others before he and his girlfriends walked over to the group. "I like you. You remind me of me and my girlfriends. Though I have to apologize for pulling you from your universe and world the way I did. It wasn't intentional, I assure you. I still don't have full control over my powers, especially when I'm angry or feeling too emotional." he explained while rubbing the back of his head.

Gaige looked Naruto up and down and smirked at him. "Ah, I see. So you're the one who has the power to open holes in the fabric of space & time hm? How interesting. I think I'm going to have to study you Mister. Do tell me, what's your name handsome?" she questioned, licking her lips in the process as she thought about the fun she could have researching this particular specimen.

Rikku narrowed her eyes at this girl and pointed in her face. "Hey! You don't get any funny ideas now. He's our man and you aren't going to be making any moves on him when you don't even know anything about him. You can be his friend and get to know him, but nothing more than that, got it? And no getting any ideas about dissecting him like he's some research project either. You can spend time talking with him and perhaps even try to help him learn about his powers and offer up advice, but don't go trying anything weird. Understand me Missy?"

Laughing a bit at this, Gaige smirked at the girl in front of her before looking at Naruto who simply smiled at his girlfriend and then at her as if to say the ball was in her court now. It was obvious he was in agreement with his girlfriend's decision. _This guy is obviously whipped._ Gaige thought to herself with a chuckle. Sighing softly, she nodded her head and shrugged her shoulders. "Alright, alright. You win. No funny thoughts, and no trying anything weird. I promise. Besides, as cute as he is, I don't even know him yet. I wouldn't just try and jump into a relationship with someone right off the bat. I'm only 15 years-old you know?" she said with a shrug. "Got plenty of time to grow up and have some fun."

Naruto's girls nodded in acceptance at this before Rikku turned to Blake and looked her over. "Alright, it looks like your Aura protected you from whatever attack you received that had these two worried so much over you. Still though, you _are_ wounded. Allow me to heal you up real quick before we go get Gaara's body...God I hate saying that. I'm so sorry Naruto." she said with a sad frown on her face as she looked at her honey.

Naruto looked down at the ground at this and shook his head. He couldn't even find the words to say how he was feeling right now. He knew that Rikku and Meru had magic that could save people when they were on the brink of death, but reviving people when they were recently deceased? He was pretty sure that was beyond even their remarkable powers. Still, he hoped that maybe, just maybe, something could be done. So, with a heavy sigh, he sent a mental order to his clones that were guarding Gaara's body and waited for them to bring Gaara's body to them so that something could hopefully be done for him.

While they waited for Gaara's body to be brought to them, Rikku took this time to heal Blake, much to the cat-eared girl's relief. She'd need to get some new clothes, but that was nothing compared to being _alive_!

Moments later, Gaara's body arrived with the two clones of Naruto and they looked solemnly at their creator, shaking their heads in pity for him before dispelling. The blonde ninja walked over and lifted Gaara up into his arms, deciding he would be the one to carry him back. Tears began to trickle down his face as he walked, the large party of people following a short distance behind him. However, Chiyo lagged behind a bit as she thought over her options. Sighing to herself, she came to a decision and nodded decisively to herself before rushing forward to match Naruto's stride.

Upon reaching an open field, she decided to speak up. "Naruto, lay Gaara down here. I'm...I'm going to use a jutsu to revive him." she said, much to everyone's shock. Before anyone could interrupt her, she decided to explain. "It's called One's Own Life Reincarnation. Now lay him down and allow me to begin the process." she commanded.

Nodding, Naruto laid his friend/brother figure down upon the ground and allowed Chiyo to get to work. However, he had to question her on something. "Granny Chiyo...are you completely certain about this? You're giving up _your_ life in exchange for his. Is this really what you want?"

Chuckling softly to herself, Chiyo continued her work as she spoke to the young man. "I've lived a long, good life young Naruto. Do I have regrets? Oh most certainly. But I'm happy with the life I've led. However, it's necessary for the old to pave way for the youth. Gaara was taken before his time, and it's only right of me to give him the chance to live again. Besides, the village needs their Kazekage. They don't need an old hag like me anymore anyways." she said in a good-natured way before laughing at her self-deprecating talk.

Naruto felt tears trickling down his cheeks again and knelt down to help her by offering up some of his chakra to speed the process along, and also because he could sense she was running low on chakra. "Granny Chiyo...I'll never forget you. You're a good person and I'll miss you. I'm sorry it came to this. I really am. If you had lived, I bet you would've been like the grandma I never had. We might not have seen each other much, but I really do think we could've been like family." he said with a teary smile on his face.

Chiyo smiled softly at this and rested her forehead against his. "I would have liked that very much Naruto-kun. You would have made a fine grandson." she said tiredly. After a few moments longer, the jutsu ended successfully and the old woman began to fall to the side, now deceased. Naruto caught her in his arms and held her close, however, and wept for her as he did for Gaara. She was a good woman and he would forever be thankful to her for saving his dearest friend.

 _ **Ten minutes later**_

As the group waited around and conversed with one another about whatever, simply enjoying idle chatter while they waited for Gaara to awaken, they were a bit surprised when a veritable army of Suna ninja showed up on the scene, led by Temari and Baki. Looking at them, the group couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly and raise their hands in a wave. Naruto just pointed over at Gaara and said, "We're just waiting for him to wake up. Though...Granny Chiyo had to give her life to revive him. We didn't make it in time to save him...I'm sorry. Granny Chiyo had to use a jutsu to revive him and it took her life in the process."

Temari looked both happy and saddened by this news, while Baki kept a stony expression on his face, betraying nothing about how he was really feeling inside. The other ninja were just waiting to see if their beloved Kazekage would awaken anytime soon, each expectant that he would wake up and be okay. Some had tears in their eyes that Elder Chiyo had passed away, but they were glad that their Kazekage was safe and sound because of her sacrifice.

After a moment, Gaara finally stirred and his eyes slowly opened. Naruto hurried over and looked down at him, smiling softly at him and gently clenched his hand with his own. "Gaara. I'm glad you're okay. How do you feel?" he questioned, hoping his friend was back to normal.

Gaara smiled weakly at his brother figure and was about to speak up in response before his two fangirls roughly shoved Naruto away and crowded around him. "Kazekage-sama, are you alright? How do you feel? Are you hurt?" and on and on they went. He was frustrated that they just roughly shoved aside his best and closest friend, but he wasn't in any shape right now to do anything about it. Instead he sighed reluctantly and closed his eyes again, simply sighing in exasperation and shaking his head, not even bothering to deign them with a response. Sari and Matsuri were truly insufferable at times, and now they had actually irritated him, if not downright pissed him off, which wasn't easy to do these days.

Naruto, meanwhile, glared daggers at their backs and scoffed in annoyance. "Bitches, the both of them! What the hell?!" he shouted out before returning to his girlfriends and sat down with them once again, folding his arms across his chest in frustration. "I don't even get a 'thank you' from them for helping to save his life. No, I get shoved aside and I don't even get to talk to my best friend. Fucking hell!"

Rikku hugged her boyfriend close and rested his head on her shoulder. "It'll be alright Naruto. We'll talk to him later, I promise. I'm sure he's just as annoyed right now as you are with them. Seriously though, they don't need to be so darn rude. Look, Temari's coming over here at least!" she said, pointing over her boyfriend's shoulder.

Sure enough, when they all looked in the direction Rikku was pointing, they saw Temari walking towards them. Naruto stood up to greet her, but he didn't expect for Temari to pull Naruto into a hug and begin crying into his shoulder. "Thank you. Thank you so much for bringing my baby brother back to me Naruto. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come to our aid. So thank you so much Naruto." she said before pulling away and smiling at him.

After a moment of shuffling on her feet, Temari placed her hands on Naruto's chest and leaned forward, capturing his lips with hers. Moaning into the kiss, she clenched his shirt in her fists and closed her eyes, savoring the taste of him on her lips as she licked at his lips, begging for entrance into his mouth.

Surprised at Temari's forwardness and by what was happening, Naruto wasn't sure what to do at first. He had a fiance. He had girlfriends! But...this? This felt _good_. Temari was a beautiful woman and he _did_ care about her. So, despite his inner protests, he found himself opening his mouth and allowed Temari to probe around in his mouth for a time before their tongues began to wrestle with one another.

Finally, when they pulled apart, the both of them wore fierce blushes on their faces and rested their foreheads against one another. Temari smiled widely and muttered out a quiet, "Wow. That was...amazing."

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle a bit and nod a little in agreement. "Yeah." he said.

However, his girlfriends were _not_ happy with what had just transpired and made it known. Meru decided to speak up for them. "Hey! What the heck do you think you're doing Temari? That's a heck of a way to say 'thank you'. Or are you genuinely interested in our man? When we get back to Suna, we're going to need to have a talk about this." she said, clearly upset with the blonde Suna kunoichi.

Temari flinched at the tone in Meru's voice and glanced away as she scratched at her nose awkwardly. "Um...yeaaaah. About that...I've kiiiinda had a crush on him since he changed my brother for the better. My feelings only intensified when I saw him again recently and now? I just...couldn't stop myself." she explained, laughing sheepishly afterwards. After she was finished, she looked at the other girls and gave them a sharp stare. "I'm dead serious though. I'm willing to fight you girls for a chance at being with him."

Sighing, Rikku shook her head and held up her hand. "Like Meru said, we'll talk about this when we return to Suna. We've already decided to talk with Sakura. We might as well talk things over with you as well now. You _do_ realize though that if you want to be with Naruto, you'll have to move to Konoha, right? Are you willing to make that change?"

Temari frowned at this point being made, but she looked over at where her brother was and smiled softly in his direction as his fangirls Sari and Matsuri continued to fawn over him. "I would miss my brothers greatly, but they're all that keeps me grounded in Sunagakure. With Gaara's permission, I should easily be able to transfer from Suna to Konoha. That is...if you'll allow me into your family?" she questioned somewhat nervously.

"Like I said, we'll talk about it. But it's nice to know that you're willing to go that far to be with him." Rikku said, smiling gently at Temari. Looking towards Naruto, she saw he was still in a bit of a daze, but he was at least paying attention to their conversation. "Our man is more than worth any sacrifice. Each of us had to give up our worlds to be here with him, but we wouldn't have it any other way." the blonde thief said, a small smirk on her face.

Temari looked confused by this statement, but she decided best not to question it right now. Instead, she decided it would be best to get things moving so they could return to Suna and get some rest. Gaara could probably use an actual bed to rest in, and no doubt the Konoha group could use some rest as well after battling the Akatsuki and rescuing their Kazekage.

So, taking a few steps forward, Temari clapped her hands loudly a couple of times and, once she was sure she had everyone's attention, she shouted out, "Alright everyone, let's get Gaara and our friends from Konoha home to Suna! I think they've more than earned some nice, warm beds to sleep in, don't you?!" she shouted out, a small grin tugging at her lips.

Naruto took this moment to lift Chiyo's body into his arms and decided he would be the one to carry her back to Suna so she could get a proper burial back in the village. The entire time, he couldn't help but think about the kiss he and Temari shared as well as what his girls had discussed with her. _Damn. Between this and Gaige showing up, I'm completely confused now. What the hell am I going to do?_

 _ **Later that night - Hotel in Sunagakure**_

Naruto would rather be making out with his girlfriends right now, but no, instead he was dealing with _this_ shit. Yamato had decided to hold a team meeting and brought everyone together in his hotel room where he then began to tear into Naruto about barking out orders to everyone earlier in the cave. The blonde ninja finally grew so fed up with Yamato's bullshit that he stood up and glared daggers at him, thrusting a finger in his face and shouting at him. "Shut the hell up already goddamnit! I told you back in the cave that I knew my girls best! You haven't had the time to get to know them well enough yet. Hell, Kakashi-sensei agreed with my decision! Thanks for that by the way Kakashi." Naruto said, sending a thankful nod his way, which Kakashi returned with his usual eye-smile.

Turning his gaze back to Yamato, Naruto continued tearing into him. "You may be the team captain Yamato-sensei, but we are a team that was just thrown together a little over a day ago. I did what was best at the time and I expect you to understand that. Instead, here you are, tearing into me for some bullshit reason because I 'subverted your command' or some such bullshit. My girls proved themselves out there today, and instead of saying 'Good job' or giving them a pat on the back or something, you're being a monumental **jackass**! So you know what Yamato? You can just **fuck the hell off**! If you don't change your damn mindset before we return to Konoha, I'm going to talk to Granny Tsunade about finding somebody else to captain this team because you clearly aren't going to work. Now good night. My girls and I are going to go to our rooms and get some rest. It's been a long day and I know I'd like to get some cuddle time with some of my girls." Naruto said, clearly pissed off at Yamato, and with good reason as well.

Standing up with his girlfriends, Naruto vacated the room, Gaige soon following as well, considering she didn't feel like sitting around after the group she was most interested in had left. Meanwhile, Yamato sat there stunned at how he was addressed. Kakashi, however, chuckled as he looked at his old friend. "Well, he sure showed you, didn't he old friend? I have to admit, you walked right into that one. Naruto is right though, he did the right thing today and you really didn't need to come down on him so hard. His girlfriends are a virtual unknown to us, but to him? Well, what he did was only natural. You should have shown you trusted in him to make the right call and accepted that for the time being. At least until you've taken the time to get to know them yourself. Now, though, you might have caused some irreparable damage. You've really got your work cut out for you now Yamato. Good luck fixing this situation." the cycloptic jonin said with an eye smile before he stood up and went to his bed where he laid down and curled up under the covers, turning off his lamp and going to sleep.

Meanwhile, all Yamato could do was contemplate what Kakashi had told him, wondering just how badly he had fucked up just now. _Damn. When Hokage-sama learns about this…_ he thought to himself, flinching as he realized that he was going to be in seriously deep shit. _Kami I hope I can fix this before we get back to Konoha or I'm in deep trouble._ He thought to himself silently as he went to his own bed and proceeded to go to sleep himself.

* * *

 **A/N - Okay, before anyone complains, I've had plans to bring in Gaige from the very beginning, and yes, I planned to bring her in during the fight against Deidara. Is she going to be in the harem? Hell if I know. If she is, it won't be for quite some time yet because, unlike the other girls in the story, she and Naruto know NOTHING about each other. They'd have to start out as friends first and build up to that kind of relationship. Sure she may flirt with him from time to time, but nothing more than that y'know? *shrugs***

 **Anyways, I do hope you enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to seeing more to come. Also, since somebody once left a review asking me to post a list of the characters introduced and where they're from, I just want to say that I HAVE a list of the characters on my profile. Buuut, if you refuse to look at my profile for whatever reason, here's a list you can look at right here:**

 **Rikku (Final Fantasy X-2)**

 **Meru (The Legend of Dragoon)**

 **Towa (Time & Eternity)**

 **Yang Xiao-Long (RWBY)**

 **Blake Belladonna (RWBY)**

 **Gaige (Borderlands 2)**

 **See? Not too big a list, but that's who has been introduced so far. Pretty interesting cast of characters introduced so far, wouldn't ya say? I think they're pretty neat-o characters, don't you?! If you haven't had the pleasure of playing any of those games, I highly recommend giving them a try. Each of those games are amazing in their own ways. The Legend of Dragoon is a priceless treasure that slipped through the cracks unfortunately and deserves some real love from people. Time & Eternity is another gem that really deserves more love. So seriously, get out there and try those games out people, I'm sure you'll enjoy the hell out of 'em! *nods***

 **Anyways, like I said, hope you enjoyed the chapter and I hope you're looking forward to seeing more! Love y'all!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N - First off, I'd like to say a few things in response to some of the reviews I got. Some of them kinda pissed me off. The one that really got to me though was the one complaining about Naruto's behavior at the end of last chapter though. You know who you are. Naruto apologized to Yamato for what he did when he gave the orders last chapter, but it was necessary considering Yamato didn't know enough about the girls to know which girl would be best for which enemy. Naruto did. So Naruto was right to do what he did. It's as simple as that. Yamato was reacting as he did because of his days in the ANBU where a captain is the one to lead and the subordinate follows the rules, no matter what. Naruto got pissed off about it and you can see how things played out. There's nothing wrong with how things turned out last chapter. It was a realistic turnout.**

 **Now, as for this chapter, I wanted to say that I'm sorry to the person or persons that didn't want Sakura in the harem, but I actually LIKE Sakura, believe it or not. If you've read any of my others fics, you'll see that she's been included in some of the pairings. So I'm sorry, but she's in. *shrugs***

 **As for adding anymore girls, I don't have plans to add anyone else anytime soon. Sakura's the last one for now.**

 **Anyways, can't really think of anything more to say up here, so enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6 - Danzo's Downfall & A Talk with Sakura**

The next morning, Rikku and the other girls (minus Gaige) were sitting in the Fantasia Coffee Shop with Temari. Each of them was sipping on their own preferred brand of coffee in their own unique style, whether it was with cream, sugar, or whatever else they preferred. However, they weren't just here to enjoy some nice cups of coffee, oh no. They were here to discuss Temari and her feelings for their man Naruto.

So, deciding to get the ball rolling, Yang spoke up. "So sister, when did you first realize you had feelings for our favorite blonde knucklehead?" she asked, a small grin on her face. "I bet those feelings caught you by surprise, huh?" she queried, a small giggle escaping her.

Temari giggled along and nodded as well. "I realized my feelings shortly after seeing him in the hospital after the Sasuke Retrieval Mission. When I saw him like that, I just...it hurt so much more than I thought it would. It felt like my heart was ripping in two. Believe it or not, when no one was around, I gave him my first kiss. He may have been unconscious, but I gave him a kiss right on the lips and told him to wake up soon." she said, giggling afterwards.

Naruto's girlfriends smiled and began to giggle at this. "That's so sweet and romantic Temari." Blake spoke up. "To have felt so strongly for him for all this time. But," here, Blake frowned slightly and reached over to place a hand on the Suna kunoichi's shoulder, "are you 100% certain that you are ready to leave your home, and more importantly, your _brothers_ , behind to be with him?"

Temari smiled sincerely at Blake for her concern and nodded her head once at this. "Sure, I'll miss them greatly, but I can write them whenever I want to keep in touch. As for the village, like I said before, it may be where I was born and raised, but it's just a place I've lived. It may have been home to me, and I may miss it, but Naru-kun is so much more important to me than a place I've lived in. So yes, I'm sure I can leave it behind me." she explained, a small, but true smile on her face.

This was enough for Naruto's girlfriends and they each nodded in acceptance of her answers. "Then we welcome you to the family Temari. When are you going to let Gaara know?" Meru asked.

"I'll let him know as soon as we're done here. I'd very much like to spend some time getting to know my future sisters." the lovely blonde Suna kunoichi said with a smile on her face. And with this being said, the happy family began to chat happily with one another about whatever topics came to mind, just taking the time to learn more about Temari and for Temari to learn more about them.

 _ **With Naruto**_

Naruto was currently seated in his hotel room with Kakashi and Gaige. Both he and Kakashi had decided it would be prudent to speak with Gaige about where she came from and exactly what her story was. So far she had been rather cooperative, but it was necessary of them to determine if she was friend or foe. So, here they were, and so far, she was proving to be rather _interesting_ company.

"And then I decided that, well...hey, cutting off my arm and replacing it with this metal one would allow me to better control my buddy Deathtrap! It worked like a charm! Though things kiiiinda got out of control and Deathtrap kinda killed the hell out of somebody and I had to hitch a ride to this planet called Pandora. But it was toootally cool 'cause I became what people called a Vault Hunter and bam bam BLOOM! I was on this train and things were awesome and we were blowing up Handsome Jack's Loader robots and then the train went KA-BOOM! and we almost died and…"

Naruto and Kakashi looked at each other at this point and sweatdropped, wondering how this girl could have this much energy to keep talking and talking and talking like this. Still though, they kept their ears open and listening as she continued to talk, spilling all this information to them. They could tell she was being completely honest with them, but a lot of this seemed like unnecessary information to them. Still, as ninja, they couldn't dismiss any of it, for you never knew what could be important. Look underneath the underneath after all.

Taking a drink of her glass of water, Gaige looked between the both of them before offering them a smile and pointing at Naruto first. "You know, you kinda remind me of Axton. You look a little similar, but it's really about the personality. I get the feeling you're a fun-loving kinda guy and into adventure and all that."

At this point, she turned to Kakashi and pointed at him. "And you, you're _totally_ like Zer0. All mysterious and everything. Super cool though!" she said with a huge grin on her face.

"Anyways, as I was saying, we stormed the Bloodshot Stronghold in our attempt to rescue Roland, the leader of the Crimson Raiders. Super cool name by the way. Aaaaanyways, when we got to Roland after killing soooo many of the bad guys, who should show up but a bunch of Handsome Jack's fucking robots! We had to fight through the whole damn dam," here she giggled at what she said, clearly finding humor in it, "until we got to the Constructor that had kidnapped him, and we had to fight that damn thing and destroy it before it could get away with him. Naturally we were _toootal_ badasses and killed the hell out of that thing, thus saving Roland and everything."

The two ninjas couldn't help but notice something… _off_ whenever Gaige talked about Roland. Whenever she talked about him, they could see a sadness in her eyes. Looking towards each other, they both nodded and decided they would wait to hear the rest of her tale, already having a feeling that they knew what happened to this Roland person.

For a while longer, Gaige continued to regale them with the tale of her adventure on the planet Pandora until she finally reached the point where she ended up in Control Core Angel. Taking a deep, shaky breath in, she began to hug herself and shook her head as tears began to trickle down her cheeks. "We...we…" Clenching her eyes shut tight, Gaige began to tremble. She was finding it so hard to talk right now. At least she was, until Naruto walked over and wrapped her in a warm hug, resting her head against his chest. "T-Thank you Naruto." Gaige said, blushing a bit as he held her close.

Taking a deep breath in and releasing it slowly, Gaige decided it would be best to finish her tale. "When we entered Control Core Angel...we learned that Angel wasn't a computer program, but another Siren like Maya and Lilith. She...was Handsome Jack's own **daughter** and he was pumping her full of Eridium so he could use her to power the Vault Key. In the process he was killing his own daughter!" she shouted angrily.

At this, Kakashi and Naruto looked absolutely horrified and couldn't help but clench their muscles in anger, clearly furious about what they just heard. What kind of **monster** could do such a thing to his own **daughter**?! Still though, they listened on.

"She begged us to destroy the injectors and put an end to the process. To free her from the pain and stop the Vault Key from being charged, to put an end to Jack's ambition. But Jack, that fucking monster...he claimed he 'loved' his daughter and sealed off the injectors with shields and began to throw an army of Loaders at us. Roland...he helped us take down the shields around the first two injectors, allowing us to destroy the first two injectors, but the third one was unreachable until Lilith showed up. She...she helped Roland get to the final injector to take down the shield around that one."

Sighing at this point, Gaige clenched her eyes shut and began to sob. "When Angel died...she told her father to go to hell...even called him an asshole." she said with a watery chuckle. "But then...Handsome Jack showed up and shot Roland from behind. He couldn't even face Roland head on...he killed Roland...like a fucking _coward_! And when Lilith went to attack him, he slapped this collar on her and ordered her to kill us. That's when Lilith tried to teleport us all away. But...I was pushed through that tear in space/time you created Naruto. The others were teleported away though, like Lilith meant for them to be." she said reassuringly. "But...now you can see why I'm pissed off and don't like fucking pretty boys. Why I asked if I could kill that fucking pretty boy back there."

Naruto and Kakashi both nodded, clearly understanding her dislike for pretty boys now. If they were in her shoes, they'd likely be out for vengeance against Handsome Jack for what he did, but since he was no longer in her reach...she needed a new target to vent her frustrations out on. Deidara simply happened to be a good target to unleash her rage on at the time.

With a smirk, Naruto looked down at Gaige and decided to offer up a suggestion. "Maybe I should bring you along when we go to confront Sasuke. He's a 'pretty boy' that turned traitor to the village. If he refuses to return with us to the village and attempts to kill me again, you might be able to have some fun with him." Naruto said in a joking manner.

Gaige grinned at this, but Kakashi quickly spoke up. "That's just evil Naruto. You know Sasuke would...wait...never mind. Sasuke never had any plans to use those 'man parts' of his. He had all the opportunity in the world to be with the girls back in Konoha that were practically throwing themselves at him and not once did he even look their way. Instead he was always looking at you. Can't revive a clan with dude-on-dude action. So y'know what...feel free Gaige." Kakashi said with a good-natured eye smile.

Naruto actually coughed and spluttered for a moment before looking wide-eyed at Kakashi. "Dear Kami Kakashi-sensei, don't even joke about that! I don't even want to _think_ about Sasuke being into me like that. Just...just the thought of that is enough to send chills down my spine. Though it _does_ make a lot of sense if you think about it. Still though...my point stands, I'd rather not think about him being attracted to me like that." he said, chuckling afterwards.

Gaige, although she didn't know who this Sasuke person was, found their banter amusing and couldn't help but smile along. She was thankful to them for what they were doing, trying to bring her out of her funk. She knew that's what they were doing, and she couldn't help but admire them for doing so. So, wiping her eyes of their last remaining tears, she hugged onto Naruto and planted a gentle kiss upon his cheek. "Thank you two. For being so sweet and cheering me up like this. You're great people, you know that? Most people wouldn't give two shits about me or what I've been through, but here you two are going out of your way to listen to me and cheer me up and everything, and I just...I can't help but love you guys for it. You remind me of my friends so much. I think I'll always miss them, but I know they'll be safe and I **know** they'll kill Handsome Jack for me. And I...I'll make the best of my new life here in this world of yours. I think I'd like to go to Konoha with you guys and see what it's like there. If you'll let me?" she asked, hopeful that they'd allow her to tag along.

Naruto and Kakashi looked at each other for a moment and nodded once together before looking back at Gaige, both smiling at her. "Of course you can return with us Gaige-chan." Kakashi said. "I think Tsunade-sama would be more than willing to give you a home in the village, and I'm sure she'd be more than interested in meeting you as well. Jiraiya-sama might be interested in meeting you as well now that I think on it, seeing as he was with Naruto during his training trip when he developed his new powers, so he has more insight on this whole situation than anyone else does." Kakashi said, rubbing his chin in thought. Shrugging after a moment, he shook his head and sighed. "Ah well. The point is, you'd be more than welcome in Konoha, and some very powerful and influential people will be happy to meet you." he said with an eye-smile.

Gaige smiled at this and leaned back, stretching her arms above her head to try and get a kink out of her back. This had the wonderful effect of pushing out her chest and making her breasts look a bit more pronounced, but Naruto did his best not to stare. Kakashi, on the other hand, allowed himself to take a small peak before looking away when Naruto shot him a glare for being a pervert. When she was done, she leaned back on her arms and grinned at the both of them. "Sooo...what's on the agenda for the day? We doing anything fun? We goin' anywhere? What's up?"

"Well…" Naruto began, rubbing at the back of his head. "We're actually planning to head out today to make our return trip to Konoha. Just trying to get a few things ironed out first and then we'll be making our way back home. That's kinda why we wanted to talk with you before we left. If you wanted to stay here in Suna with Gaara, we couldn't really make you come with us against your will. It was well within your rights to stay here after all." he said with a casual shrug of his shoulders. "Still, I am glad you said you'd be returning with us to Konoha. You seem like a really nice person and someone I'd be glad to have as a friend." he explained, a soft smile on his face.

Gaige smiled at this and reached out with her hand, gently brushing at his whisker-marked cheek. "Awww, aren't you just the sweetest? Thank you for being honest with me. I considered staying here with Gaara. He seems like an interesting guy, but he's really not my type. That and I don't really know anybody here. All the people I _do_ know from this world are people from Konoha, so it only makes sense to return to Konoha with you guys, don't you think?" she replied with a grin.

Chuckling a bit, Naruto nodded in acceptance of that. "True enough. I can't argue with that logic." he agreed. "Well, we should probably go ahead and get our things packed up and ready to go. You need any help packing up your things Gaige-chan?" Naruto asked. Seeing her shake her head no, Naruto nodded and went about packing up his things and sealing things away into storage scrolls. Once he was done, he sat upon the bed and thought about what his girls might be up to for a moment before his mind wandered to Temari and that wonderful kiss they shared. _Temari… I wonder if she'll be staying here._

 _ **At the Entrance of Suna - 3 Hours Later**_

After the group spent some time saying goodbye at Chiyo's grave, they now stood at the entrance of Sunagakure, prepared to leave on home for Konohagakure. Standing before them were Gaara and Kankuro. Temari would be standing with them, but it turned out, much to some of the Konoha group's shock, that she was returning to Konoha with them, now that she was going to Konoha to become one of Naruto's fiances.

Looking into Naruto's eyes, Gaara decided on two things. Firstly, he held out his hand and shook his friend's hand. "Thank you, Naruto, for helping to save my life." he said, a kind smile on his face. Then, he squeezed his friend's hand tighter and scowled at Naruto. "But if you hurt my sister in any way, I _will_ kill you, friend or not." he threatened, a small grin playing at his lips.

Naruto sweatdropped at this and nodded quickly, clearly understanding the message. "Roger that Gaara. I promise, I won't hurt Temari. She'll be just as precious to me as my other girlfriends are. She already _is_ precious to me. And I'll make sure nothing happens to her. You have my word on that." he assured his friend.

After a moment, the two of them wrapped each other in a hug and patted each other's backs gently before separating and grinning at one another slightly. "I'll miss you." they said to each other. "Take care of yourself Gaara." Naruto said. "You too Kankuro. Make sure to look after Gaara as well. I worry about you guys sometimes. I can't help it. You're like brothers to me." he said sincerely.

Kankuro smiled and wrapped Naruto in a hug. "Don't worry man. We'll look after ourselves and be safe. You can count on it. You just be sure to take good care of my sister, alright? I'm going to miss the both of you. Heh, I'm _really_ going to miss her cooking. Gaara and I can't cook worth shit. We kinda relied on her to cook our meals for us every day. Now we've gotta figure something else out. You lucky bastard, you get to eat her cooking now." he joked.

Naruto chuckled at this and patted Kankuro's back before they separated. "You two will figure something out, I'm sure of it. Just...take care of yourselves." he said. "We'll see you both later. I love you guys." Naruto said, a small, but true smile on his face as he said this. And with that being said, Naruto stepped back and allowed Temari to come up and say her goodbyes to her brothers, giving them both hugs and kisses on their cheeks goodbye. Afterwards, the Konoha group began their long trek back home to Konoha.

 _ **2 Days Later - Konoha**_

The group had made surprisingly short time on the way back to Konoha. They had originally set out at a civilian's pace, albeit a quickened one, but somewhere along the way, Guy and Lee had decided to make it a race to see who could make it back home the fastest. The reason they did this? It was simply because they felt they were moving far too slow and they quickly grew bored of it. That and they figured they would turn it into a training exercise of sorts, as per the usual.

So now, here they were, back in Konoha and standing before the Hokage, giving their report on what had happened during the mission. Once they were finished giving their report, Tsunade spoke up. "It's unfortunate that the Akatsuki managed to capture the Ichibi. Still, I'm glad you managed to recover the Kazekage. And Temari, you are more than welcome to join our ranks if you so choose." she said, getting a nod from Temari to signal that she would very much like to join as a kunoichi of Konohagakure. "Alright, come see me later to get the details ironed out. Gaige, can you please wait outside in the hall for a moment? I need to speak with Yamato and his team alone for a moment. The rest of you are dismissed. Have a good day and make sure to pick up your mission payment on your way out." she said, a smile on her face.

Nodding at this, Gaige left the room with Kakashi and the others following her out, leaving Yamato, Naruto, and his girlfriends in the room alone with Tsunade. Once they were gone from the room with the door closed behind them, Tsunade began to speak, her eyes slightly glazed over. "Naruto-kun, Yamato, I've decided to place a new person on your team. He goes by the name of Sai. Please do your best to get along with him and treat him as one of your own." she said.

Frowning at this, Naruto spoke up immediately. "No." he said somewhat angrily. "The Granny Tsunade I know wouldn't put some person none of us know and trust on our team out of the blue like this. She made this team because we're familiar with one another and know how to work well together. She wouldn't throw a wrench in that now by adding in an unknown subject to the mix." he said. Turning to Yamato at this point, he nodded his head towards Tsunade discreetly and whispered to him. "Yamato-sensei, I think she might be under a genjutsu of some kind. A powerful one by the looks of it."

Yamato frowned at his student. At first he felt he was insubordinate during the mission, but some part of him knew that Naruto made the right decision at that point in time. He just didn't want to admit it to himself at the time. As team captain, he was in charge and having a rookie Genin take charge like that kind of stung a bit. But now he was disobeying a direct order from his _Hokage_ of all people! Before he could say anything to reprimand his charge, Naruto had turned to him and said something that made a surprising amount of sense. A genjutsu?

Turning to look at Tsunade, Yamato looked into her eyes and noticed that they seemed glazed over, almost as if she were in a trance of some kind. It was barely noticeable however. Her eyes looked almost completely normal from first glance. It was only when you looked close enough that you saw the glazed look in her eyes. Frowning, Yamato held up his hands in a hand seal and proceeded to shout out, " **Release!** "

Tsunade looked to Yamato with a questioning eyebrow, her eyes still glazed over, much to Yamato's shock. "What are you doing?" she questioned curiously.

Yamato looked down at Naruto and frowned as he whispered back to him. "She's definitely under a genjutsu, but it's a powerful one Naruto. Can one of your girlfriends break it with their magic?" he questioned.

Looking to his girlfriends, Naruto pondered which of them might be able to do so before frowning. "I don't know. I can ask, but it might be a long shot. We might need to work together and pump almost all of our chakra through her system to break her free of this genjutsu. I might even need to tap into Kyuubi's chakra if we're really unlucky." he said, a deep frown on his face.

Walking over to his girlfriends, Naruto decided to explain the situation to them. He could tell they were equally upset by the fact that Tsunade was trying to push an unknown person on them, so hopefully this would help settle things. "Girls, Yamato and I figured out that Granny's under a pretty powerful genjutsu. We're trying to figure out how to break her out of it. Do any of you have any magic that might be able to snap her out of it?" he asked hopefully.

Rikku scratched the back of her neck and thought about it for a moment before she glanced towards Tsunade with a frown. "Hmm, I don't know if any of my magic would help, but I _do_ have a dressphere that might do the trick. The Psychic dressphere would allow me to connect with her mind and try to fix 'er up. Want me to give it a try Naru?" she asked with a smile.

Smiling at his fiance, Naruto nodded. "Anything's worth a try. I say go for it Rikku-hime." Naruto exclaimed, hoping dearly that Rikku would be able to fix what had been done to his dear Granny Tsunade.

The perky blonde thief nodded once and performed a dressphere into her Psychic dressphere. Once that was done, she took aim at Tsunade and performed a mind link, quickly delving into the mind of the village leader of Konohagakure. Once inside her mind, Rikku began looking around for anything that might be out of the ordinary so she could squash it like a bug and fix up one of Naruto's most beloved people.

When she finally found what she was looking for, Rikku had to admit that it wasn't pretty. This... _thing_ was ugly as sin. It looked like a black blob with a single red eye with a central circle with three tomoe spinning around in it lazily. And it was looking right at her. Luckily it wasn't making any hostile movements towards her yet. Instead, it just seemed curious about what she was doing in here and how she even got in here to begin with.

Rikku, deciding to nip this problem in the bud right now, quickly raised up her hand and unleashed her Telekinesis ability, instantly annihilating the ugly creature. As soon as it was eradicated, the lovely young blonde disappeared from Tsunade's mindscape and returned to her body, sighing a breath of relief at being out of that creepy place.

"It's done Naru. She's free now. Though I think, judging on what you told me about the Sharingan, that somebody used that on her. Whatever that _thing_ I destroyed was, it had an eye that looked like a Sharingan." Rikku explained, shivering in disgust at the mere _memory_ of that ugly creature.

Naruto, hearing this, growled and looked towards Yamato to see he was furious at hearing that someone with a Sharingan eye had dared to use it on their esteemed leader. Once Tsunade came to, she looked around at everyone and blinked a couple of times. "Wh-What? What's going on?"

"Granny Tsunade, I need to ask you something _very_ important. Who was it that told you to put this Sai person on our team? Whoever it was used a Sharingan eye to place a **very** powerful genjutsu on you. Rikku here had to delve into your mind to break it and it wasn't easy." Naruto explained in a very serious tone of voice.

Tsunade frowned as she tried to recall the last thing she remembered about this Sai person before her eyes widened in realization before they narrowed in fury and she slammed her fist down on her desk in anger, causing the desk to break in half. "Danzo! That rotten bastard! I refused his request to place his little 'protege' on your team and he just wouldn't take 'no' for an answer! That's the last thing I remember about that situation. You say he used an implanted Sharingan to place me under a genjutsu?" receiving a series of nods from everyone in the room with her, Tsunade scowled angrily and rose from her desk. "Then that's grounds for an execution. He's committed treason against his Hokage and most likely stolen a Sharingan from one of the deceased Uchiha without anyone finding out until now. It's time he pays for all of his crimes." she said angrily as she walked towards the door. "And if I find out the other elders helped him in any way, they will pay too."

With that, Tsunade led the group out into the hall where she saw Gaige waiting patiently. Frowning a moment, the Godaime Hokage bowed her head slightly. "I apologize for having kept you waiting so long Gaige. Unfortunately out conversation will have to wait until later. Something urgent has come up that needs to be dealt with immediately." Tsunade began to walk off again, but stopped after a couple of steps before looking over her shoulder. "Actually, you might as well come along. Perhaps we can have our conversation as we walk." she said with a smile. "You might be able to help us after all."

Gaige smiled and nodded enthusiastically as she fell into step beside Tsunade. "Sure thing. I'm always willing to lend a hand or two!" she said with a grin, pumping both fists into the air with a giggle. "Deathtrap's always willing to shed a few pints of blood too. From our enemies of course." she said with a maniacal grin forming on her face.

Tsunade sweatdropped at this, but couldn't help but share her grin after a moment. "You know, I think I'm going to like you Gaige-chan. Tell me, what's your stance on perverts?"

"Wellll…" Gaige began…

 _ **Danzo's House - Moments Later**_

Tsunade, Yamato, and the others had arrived at Danzo's humble abode. They were all prepared for a fight, knowing that the old bastard likely wouldn't be willing to lay down and die like he should have years ago. Yamato had a personal score to settle with this rotten old bastard and he had to admit, even if only to himself, that he was looking forward to putting this bastard in his place, which was six feet underground.

Stepping forward, Tsunade decided to oh so gently knock on the door. By which I mean that she punched it right off its hinges and sent it crashing through the opposite wall and flying beyond into the building past that. Once inside his house, they saw Danzo rising from his couch in the living room area, the two elders Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado with him, both of them looking fearful for their lives.

Tsunade, deciding to be merciful, asked one question. "Have you two played any part in any of Danzo's schemes?" she asked, hoping that they would say no.

Homura decided to be the one to speak up and shook his head, a small sweatdrop rolling down his cheek. "N-No Hokage-sama. Not at all." he said, lying through his teeth.

Koharu, on the other hand, glanced at him and then looked straight into the Hokage's eyes. "Yes Hokage-sama, we both have. Numerous times. However, we tried to caution him against doing some of the things he's gone through with, but he never listens to us. Danzo's a warmonger through and through and does whatever he wants, claiming it's all in the name of Konoha, when it's really only benefitting him. If you'd like, I will give myself up to you and come in peacefully, giving you whatever information I can on all of our past dealings with Danzo, all of his crimes that I know of, and even our involvement with him. All I ask in exchange is to be allowed to live the rest of my days with my family in peace and solitude. Is that acceptable Lady Tsunade?"

Tsunade nodded. "Agreed Lady Koharu. As for you two…" Nodding towards Gaige, she grinned when Gaige pulled out her sniper rifle and immediately fired a single round straight into Homura's skull, right between his eyes, all faster than he could blink. Meanwhile, Yamato went through a series of hand seals and shouted out, " **Wood Release: Four-Pillar Prison Technique!** " right before a prison of wood shot out of the ground, surrounding Danzo and locking him within, shackles quickly binding his wrists and legs, preventing him from performing any jutsu.

Danzo was _furious_. Glaring at Yamato, he tried to use his implanted Sharingan eye to command Yamato to release him, but found that he couldn't focus enough chakra into his eye to do anything. Glancing to the side, he found the reason for this was because Naruto had slapped a seal tag of some kind onto the side of the prison. Snarling, he began to hurl curses at them. "You rotten bastards! Don't you know what I am?! I'm a patriot! Everything I've ever done was for the good of Konoha! You don't know what you're doing! I…"

Before he could rant anymore, Tsunade approached and ripped away all of Danzo's bandages, revealing his grotesque form for all to see. What really sickened her most of all, however, was seeing his arm and her grandfather's face on it. What _really_ bothered them all the most, however, was seeing all the Sharingan eyes grafted into the arm. Looking to Koharu for some help explaining this, they saw her look down and away, holding her right arm with her left.

"He...played the Uchiha clan like a fiddle. Peace talks were going well, but Danzo wouldn't have any of it. He _craved_ power and wanted their Sharingan eyes for himself. But more than that, he felt the Uchiha clan was far too dangerous and claimed they would betray the village, regardless of how loyal they were. Shisui-san had plans to use his Mangekyou Sharingan to convince his father not to stage a coup. But Danzo...Danzo killed Shisui with his ROOT and stole his eye for himself. That's the eye you see in his eye socket. All because of the Sharingan ability Kotoamatsukami. Danzo orchestrated the entire thing. He's the entire reason the Uchiha clan was wiped out down to every last man, woman, and child except for Sasuke and Itachi. All in the name of obtaining more power for himself. He claims it was 'for the good of Konoha' like usual...but it was really all for himself, as usual." she explained before releasing a heavy sigh. "What a selfish, horrible, brute of a man."

Tsunade had heard enough. Reaching through the bars of the cage, she gripped Danzo's disfigured arm and pulled hard, ripping it right off before beating him over the head with it a few times. "You. Are. Sick! What gives you the right to do such things you rotten _bastard_?!" she yelled out before tossing the arm away and reaching through the bars again, gouging out his Sharingan eye. Looking at it in the palm of her hand, she was tempted to crush it, but thought better of it. Looking at Naruto, she got an idea and figured she would run it by him later. For now, she took out a scroll and sealed the eye within it for safekeeping.

At this point, they figured there was no longer any purpose in keeping Danzo alive. So, without allowing Danzo to say anything else by means of farewell, Tsunade reached through the bars, gripped Danzo's head on both sides, and quickly snapped his neck with a brutal twist, his head spinning all the way around until it looked like it was about to pop right off. And with that, Danzo was dead.

Yamato released his technique, Naruto recollected his seal tag, and Danzo's body collapsed like a heap onto the floor. Tsunade gently took Koharu by the arm and led her out of the building, smiling at her as the two of them began to talk. She would lead the village elder to T&I where the woman would give all the information she could about Danzo and his activities, as well as her involvement in such activities, while the others left in the house were left to deal with Danzo and Homura's remains. Such a messy job.

Yamato smiled towards Naruto as they went about their work. "I have to say Naruto, you have a good eye. At first I thought you were being insubordinate when you responded to Tsunade, but to recognize a genjutsu of that caliber based on your intimate knowledge of her due to your personal relationship with her, I must admit I'm impressed. Good job." he said, genuinely impressed. "And...I'm sorry about before. You were right to do what you did. I didn't mean to accuse you of being insubordinate. I want you to know that I trust in your judgment Naruto. I hope we can become friends in time and work well together." he said, smiling at his comrade.

Naruto smiled softly at his team captain and offered him a hand to shake. "Thank you Yamato-sensei. That means a lot to me. And again, I _am_ sorry for behaving the way I did during the mission. I did what I felt was best at the time. I wasn't trying to undermine your authority in any way. And...for what I said at the hotel to you...I'm sorry. I was upset at the time because of what you were saying and...well...things got out of hand and I'm sorry. I hope we can become good friends and team members with enough time as well Yamato-sensei." he said as they shook hands.

 _ **The Next Day - The Nightingale**_

Temari and Naruto's other girlfriends had managed to find Sakura early this morning and had invited her out to breakfast with them. After all, they were planning to talk with her today and decided to do it bright and early before Tsunade could assign them any missions or anything for the day. So, they had all decided on going to the restaurant known as the Nightingale, a very popular restaurant in the village.

Sakura was understandably nervous in their presence, but seeing a familiar face in Temari helped to ease her nerves, if even only somewhat. However, after receiving her meal and beverage, she couldn't contain it anymore and blurted out, "W-What did you want with me? If you're here about what I did to Naruto in the past, I'm sorry. I really am. And if you're upset about me making a move on your boyfriend Miss, I'm sorry, I didn't know at the time." she said, a sad frown appearing on her face as she said this. Despite herself, she was still _very_ upset at her missed chance.

Meru smiled sweetly at Sakura and shook her head. "Well, you're partly correct, but there's something you should know first." she said with a wink. "Naruto's been inducted into the CRA. We're all his girlfriends now. And...we wanted you to know that Naruto still cares for you. He may have moved on from you, but at the same time, he still has lingering feelings for you. Does that make sense to you?" she asked, still smiling at the pink-haired woman before her.

Sakura blinked a couple of times as this information cycled through her head. After a moment, a megawatt smile appeared on her face and she looked pleadingly at the group before her. "Are...are you saying what I think you're saying?" she asked hopefully.

Blake held up a hand and shook her head. "Not quite yet Sakura. We're here to talk to you about the opportunity first." she said before taking a bite of her food. Swallowing, she looked at Sakura and narrowed her eyes slightly. "First thing's first. If we were to give you a chance at being with him, you aren't to hit him _ever_ again. Even if he says or does something you think is stupid or you don't like, you are _not_ to hit him. Do you understand me?" she stressed as sternly as possible.

Sakura flinched at this and nodded slowly. "I...I understand. I know I did that a lot in the past, and I hate myself for it. Now that I've trained under Tsunade-sama and learned how to use master's strength technique, I know I could really hurt him if I were to hit him now. I know I have a bad temper, but I promise that if you give me a chance to be with him, I won't _ever_ hurt him again. I...I **love** him. I love him so much. I just want to be with him. More than I've ever wanted anything." Sakura explained, tears welling up in her eyes.

Watching as Sakura brought her hands up to cover her eyes as she began to sob, Rikku frowned and shook her head. She couldn't help but feel for the poor girl, but there was still something that needed to be asked. "That's another thing we need to ask you about Sakura. You used to fawn over Sasuke and truly believed you were in love with him. You...seem like you genuinely love Naruto now, but what made you change while he was gone from the village?" she asked with a frown as she went back to eating her meal, waiting for an answer.

Sakura hiccuped and wiped at her eyes with the backs of her hand before looking around at everyone and smiled a bit. "Master helped open my eyes. Sasuke was just a childish crush. When I saw what he did to Naruto...when I saw my dear teammate in the hospital like that...that's when I began to **hate** Sasuke. Naruto was our teammate and Sasuke tried to fucking _kill_ him! All so he could go to that bastard Orochimaru!" she yelled, clenching her fists tight.

Taking a deep breath in, Sakura took a moment to finish her meal before she began to speak again. "As for my feelings for Naruto...well...Master helped open my eyes. He was always there for me. He made me feel special. When I was feeling down, he always found a way to cheer me up. Believe it or not, I remember that he was my first true friend before I met Ino and...things changed. I...I remember that when push came to shove...I always counted on Naruto to come to my rescue rather than Sasuke. I knew Naruto would always be there for me. I knew Sasuke didn't care enough…" Shaking her head, Sakura looked down at her hands and giggled a bit. "Naruto always found a way to make me laugh and make me smile. He just had that gift, you know? He's such a good guy and I can't help but love him for being, well... _him_." she explained.

Breathing a soft sigh, Sakura looked around at each of Naruto's girlfriends and smiled at them with tears trickling down her cheeks again. "I wasn't even aware of how deep my feelings for him were until Master sat me down and talked with me about Naruto. She could see how Naruto's absence from the village was affecting me. And...they do say that absence makes the heart grow fonder." Sakura said with a giggle. "And when I saw him upon his return to the village...oh Kami my heart was racing. I wanted to pull him into a kiss and never let him go. I wanted him _soooooo_ bad! It hurt to find out that he was taken."

Looking into their eyes one by one, Sakura took a moment to think before she pushed her chair back and knelt down on the floor, prostrating herself before them. "Please, I beg of you. Allow me to be with Naruto. I love him so, so very much. He's the only man I'll ever love and I don't know what I'd do without him in my life."

Shocked by this sudden move, the girls, having finished their own meals, quickly rushed to Sakura and helped her up. "Please Sakura, you don't need to do this. If you're this serious about being with him...if you're _this_ in love with him...then we can't deny you your chance. Come with us and we'll help you talk to Naruto. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you." Rikku said, smiling softly at Sakura.

Yang left some money on the table to pay for their meal before the large group of girls left the restaurant to make their way back home so they could chat with their shared boyfriend about allowing Sakura into their growing family.

 _ **Uzumaki-Namikaze Estate - 20 Minutes Later**_

Naruto was curiously staring at Sakura and his girlfriends as they sat before him. Gaige had been showing him her robot Deathtrap before they had shown up and asked if they could talk to him, so naturally he was a little confused when he saw Sakura amongst their numbers. Looking around at them, he decided to voice a question. "Umm, not that I'm not happy to see all of you, but what's Sakura-chan doing here?"

Rikku walked over and sat beside her boyfriend, placing a hand on her fiance's thigh. "Naruto, we had a talk with Sakura about you. We informed her that you've been placed in the CRA. We...also informed her that you still have feelings for her." she explained before poking her fingers together and giggling a little nervously.

Naruto stared at her with wide eyes. Before he could say anything though, Meru spoke up. "Naruto, don't get upset. We love you and we want you to be happy. And...we were concerned about Sakura as well. We feel she deserves to be as happy with you as we are. So...we talked with her and we decided in the end that she's worthy to be with you. So...will you accept her into your life as a member of our family?" she asked, hoping he wouldn't disagree.

Before Naruto could say anything, Sakura decided to be a bit bold and walked over to him, swaying her hips a bit and sat on his lap before leaning in close and smiling sultrily at him, leaning her face in close. "Come on Naru-kun, say yes. Pretty please? I promise you won't regret it. I love you so much. I really, truly do." She said before placing kisses along his jawline, his neck, and then on his whisker marks.

Chuckling softly, Naruto grabbed Sakura's chin gently and turned her head so she was looking into his eyes. Leaning forward, he captured the pinkette's lips with his in a fiery, passionate kiss before moving his hands down to her ass, giving it a good squeeze. Naruto always did love Sakura's perky, firm butt and he was happy when she gave a little squeal into the kiss before moaning and deepening the kiss, even adding in her tongue.

After a moment, the two of them separated and Sakura began to giggle happily. "That...that was amazing. It was everything I had hoped it would be." she said as she rested her forehead against his. "You're amazing Naru-kun." Sakura said. "I really, truly love you darling."

Naruto looked into Sakura's eyes and smiled at her as well. "I love you as well Sakura. Just as I love all of you." he said, smiling softly at everyone. "Now, why don't we head out and do something fun?" he said with a devious grin on his face. "I say we enjoy a good prank. We haven't pulled one yet since returning to the village and I think it's high time we pull one girls. What do you say?"

Rikku grinned and nodded in agreement. "Oooo, I can't wait! I say we do it!" she agreed with a giddy giggle. The other girls nodded in agreement with him, even Blake and Temari.

Sakura on the other hand looked at everyone wide-eyed before looking down at Naruto, who was looking into her eyes with a curious smile. Releasing a sigh, she nodded at him with a smile. "I'll help too. This might actually be pretty fun. And, considering your past pranks, this might actually prove to be good training now that I think about it." she said, rubbing at her chin in thought. With a shrug, she nodded once again before grinning at Naruto and getting off his lap. "Let's do it Naru-kun!" she said with a giggle.

 _ **1 Hour Later - Streets of Konoha**_

Shopkeepers and various other business owners were running around in horror and screaming random gibberish about their shops being vandalized in some horrible way. What had happened to cause this particular ruckus? Within virtually every store, at least all the ones that had kicked Naruto out or wronged Naruto in some way in the past, paint bombs had gone off and splattered the walls and merchandise. But more than that, in some stores squirrels had been released and allowed to wreak havoc. Along with that, in other stores, a strange and horrible smell could be smelled, but nobody could place exactly what it was, and nobody could find the source.

They _all_ knew who the culprit was, but they had no way to prove it. After all, nobody actually saw him committing the act. There was no proof he had done anything. And yet the entire time, he was laughing his ass off at what was happening, finding great amusement in what was taking place before him. His girlfriends were finding great amusement in the situation as well.

There was one person who was experiencing a monster of a headache from this whole experience though. Tsunade sat in her office, looking out over the village below at the chaos that was currently going on. Massaging her temples, she grumbled angrily to herself and hung her head at the amount of paperwork she'd have to do now and all the complaining she'd have to deal with now. "Damn it Naruto, why do you do things like this?"

 _ **Hokage's Office - Later that day**_

Naruto, his girlfriends (including Temari and Sakura), Gaige, and Yamato, were all standing before Tsunade, Shizune, and Tonton, each of them wondering why they had been summoned so suddenly. Before anyone could pose the question, the busty blonde Hokage spoke up. "I'm sure you're all wondering why I summoned you to my office. Before you ask, no, it has nothing to do with the pranking spree that I'm sure you committed. Though I have to ask, why would you do such a thing Naruto? Was it _really_ necessary?"

Naruto quirked a brow and folded his arms across his chest. "And who says I'm the one that did it. Did you find any proof that I did anything? I was with my girlfriends the entire time." Tsunade looked towards his girlfriends to see them all nodding at that, and the Godaime Hokage couldn't help but sigh, coming to the realization that either he really didn't do it...or they helped in the pranking spree. Either way, it wasn't a good thing.

Sighing to herself, Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose before shaking her head in frustration. "Never mind. That's not important right now." she said. "I kind of checked on you using sensei's crystal ball earlier to make sure you were doing okay and saw what was going on in your estate. And I've been thinking about this ever since then." Sighing softly to herself, Tsunade looked into their eyes one by one before closing her eyes and smiling to herself. "I know it might be a bit odd to add more to your numbers, but considering you're a big group already, would you like to add Temari, Sakura, and Gaige to your team? Sakura is without a team of her own, and I assure you that she is a wonderful medic. She also has my chakra enhanced strength, which will prove a huge boon to your forces. Temari, I'm sure you already know very well what she is capable of. And Gaige? You've already seen firsthand what she is capable of. But she hasn't quite shown everything yet from what I've gathered. I'm rather curious about this Deathtrap robot she's talked about. But yes, I do believe she'll make a fine addition to your team. So...what do you say? Do you accept?"

At first, Naruto wanted to joke and accuse Tsunade of being a pervert, but he knew that wouldn't go over too well. But as she spoke, he couldn't help but like the idea of Sakura and Temari being added to the team. Then he thought about Gaige and, while he barely knew her, he thought she'd be a good addition as well. She would need some serious training in order to truly keep up with the team in terms of speed and stamina, but she certainly had the firepower down. At least, she did for now. From what he understood, she didn't have unlimited ammo, but she had enough to last her for a very long time, thank goodness.

Looking around at his girlfriends, he could see them and Yamato conversing with one another and he decided to join them in the discussion. After a while, they separated from their huddle and smiled at Tsunade. "We accept Hokage-sama. We would be glad to have them on the team." Yamato stated for the group. "Each of their skills would be a most welcome addition to the team. However, we will need to take time to hash out our teamwork and get acclimatized to one another's abilities." he explained, hoping that she would give them some time off from missions for the time being so they could take the time to train and familiarize themselves with each other and their abilities.

Tsunade nodded in understanding, but she had to burst their bubble. "Unfortunately, your team is being sent to Tenchi Bridge to meet with Sasori's spy in two day's time. I want you to take these two days to train and get used to each other as much as possible. Do whatever it takes to familiarize yourselves with one another and hash out your teamwork, because I want you to be as cohesive a unit as you can be before you leave here in two day's time. When you return from this mission, I promise I'll give you the time you need to train." she said, hoping that Yamato would understand her position.

Sighing softly, the team captain nodded a few times in resignation before saluting the Hokage. "I understand Hokage-sama. It shall be done. Come team, let us head to Training Ground #3 and begin. We've only got two days and I'm going to make sure to train us all into the ground. We're only going to take breaks for lunch, dinner, and restroom breaks. Is that understood?" he asked, hoping they would understand.

Once they were gone, Shizune turned to Lady Tsunade and frowned a bit. "It's nice that he's serious about this, but isn't he taking this a little too far? He can't push them that hard. They'll collapse from exhaustion at that rate." she said, genuinely worried for the group.

Tsunade sighed and shook her head. "It's not our place to intervene Shizune. They're just going to have to deal with it and tough it out. Yamato wants to make sure they're prepared for whatever life throws at them. He wouldn't be doing this if they weren't on such a tight schedule. Once things have calmed down some and he's allowed the time he so desperately needs to train his team, _then_ he'll start taking it a bit easier on them. Do you understand?"

Nodding slowly, Shizune let out a soft sigh and looked out the window. "I do. I just can't help but worry though." she explained. She truly cared about Naruto and the others. It was just in her nature.

 _ **2 Days Later - Konoha Main Gate**_

Naruto and the others had to admit that Yamato's training was **brutal**. Even after getting a good night's rest and soaking in the hot springs on their estate, they were _still_ sore and even a little exhausted. Still, they were ready and prepared to go and kick some ass on this mission, even if all they were supposed to do was meet with a spy and capture him to bring him back for interrogation.

Letting out simultaneous yawns, the group were glad when Yamato finally arrived on the scene and motioned for them to follow him. It was about damn time too! They had been waiting on him for about half an hour now! It was time to go and capture a spy. Hopefully they'd get the information they needed so they could hunt down Orochimaru and bring back Sasuke. Whether he was alive or dead, it didn't matter anymore. A traitor didn't have any rights. If he resisted and/or tried to kill one of them, he was fair game.

* * *

 **A/N - Alrighty folks, that's the end of the chapter. As you can see, it's a little shorter than the others I've pumped out recently. Oh well. :P Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter regardless.**

 **Anyways, like I said at the beginning of the chapter, I don't plan to add anyone else to the harem for the time being. So as it currently stands, the harem is as follows:**

 **Rikku (Final Fantasy X-2)**

 **Meru (The Legend of Dragoon)**

 **Towa (Time & Eternity)**

 **Yang Xiao-Long (RWBY)**

 **Blake Belladonna (RWBY)**

 **Temari (Naruto)**

 **Sakura Haruno (Naruto)**

 **And that's it. Not too big a harem compared to some you see out there. God I've seen some MASSIVE harems. I wonder how people can keep up with some of 'em, they're that big. I try to keep mine as reasonable, manageable levels y'know?**

 **Anyways, again, hopefully you liked the chapter. I can't think of anything else to say. Sooo...take care and hope you're all doing great!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N - Okay, I asked Dragon and Sword Master what he'd like to see updated next and he was really eager to see an update for this fic next. Sooo, there ya go. That's the reason about why this story got an update. lol. But yeah, it's been a while since I updated this fic, so I figured it was about time I updated it again.**

 **Anyways, a lot happens in this chapter. It revolves around the mission to go to Tenchi Bridge to capture the spy (Kabuto) and they proceed from there to find Sasuke y'know? Sooo...yeah. This chapter is THAT mission. Sooo...hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7 - Capturing a Traitor**

Team Yamato was making good time as they made their way towards the Tenchi Bridge in Kusagakure. Thanks to all their training, their stamina had thankfully improved quite a bit, so they were able to move longer distances without the need for breaks quite so often. Still though, Yamato wasn't _that_ much of a hardass and decided that, at the end of the first day of travel, they would spend the night at a hot springs resort in a nearby town.

As they entered the hot spring, the girls couldn't help but sigh in relief as they got to rest their weary bodies. After how hard Yamato had been pushing them for the past two days, this was _exactly_ what they needed. Some rest and relaxation in a hot spring would do their sore bodies some real good.

Looking at Gaige, Rikku decided to ask her something. "Say, Gaige…" she started, "what's it like where you're from? We still don't know all that much about you, so I'm kinda curious."

Gaige blinked before folding her arm beneath her bust and tilted her head a bit as she thought about how best to answer that question. After a moment, she shrugged her shoulders and decided to just be brutally honest. "Well, I kinda ran away from home, so I can't really tell you much about that place anymore. I was kinda making the planet of Pandora my new home. I became a Vault Hunter, but I think I already told you guys about that." she said.

When she received nods from her friends, the redhead smiled and continued on. "Thing is, Pandora's kiiiiind of a crazy place. Tons of bandits roaming around, lots of crazy wildlife like skags, rakks, bullymongs, threshers, etc. No matter where you went, you had to fight to survive. The only safe place was Sanctuary, and even then Handsome Jack and Hyperion were trying to wipe that place off the face of the planet." she explained.

When the others looked at her sadly, Gaige waved them off with her fleshy arm. The Vault Hunter had left her metal arm in the dressing room so it wouldn't get wet and begin malfunctioning. "Hey, don't look so glum people! I had a lot of fun! Deathtrap and I got to meet some pretty interesting people and we got to kill a lot of bad guys too! It was a win-win! I was one kickass Vault Hunter and I was proud of it! Still am, actually. Us Vault Hunters were looked at like we were heroes by the people of Pandora. Made me feel extra special!" she said before beginning to giggle. "Heh, can you imagine? Me, a hero? Yeah…"

Meru frowned at this point and waded over to Gaige before hugging her close, resting Gaige's head on her bosom. "You're thinking about Roland again, aren't you Gaige? I'm sorry. He was a wonderful friend to you and for you to have lost him like that...it's just so horrible. That jerk Handsome Jack will pay for what he did, I'm sure of it. Hopefully Naruto will find a way to connect to all of our worlds soon so we can check on our friends and loved ones again and make sure they're all safe and sound. I know that I, for one, want to make sure that Dart and the others kicked some major butt and saved the world!" she exclaimed.

Gaige giggled a bit as she hugged Meru back. "Thanks Meru." she said quietly. "If Naruto finds a way to connect to my world...I just want to check on them to see if they killed that monster. Handsome Jack keeps calling himself a 'hero' and my friends and me the 'villains'. He's a delusional jackass! No hero would do the kinds of things he's done! If I get the chance, I'll fire a damn rocket into his face and watch him go KA-BOOM! for sure!" she exclaimed angrily as she backed away from Meru and pumped her fist into the air.

Rikku giggled a bit and nodded her head in understanding. "You know that Naruto and the rest of us would gladly help you, Gaige. Just as we'd do the same for any one of us sitting here now."

The crazy inventor nodded her head before she leaned back against the edge of the hot spring and pushed her chest out a bit as she closed her eyes. "I know, and I appreciate it. You guys are just as awesome as my buddies back in my universe." she said. "And hey, that Naruto of yours is pretty cute. I bet he's fun to tease, huh?" she said conspiratorially as she cracked open one of her eyes, giving them a teasing grin.

Blake narrowed her eyes at Gaige in suspicion and folded her arms across her chest before huffing in annoyance. "You're not going to try and get with him too, are you Gaige? Because you barely even know him yet."

Gaige smirked at Blake and shook her head in the negative. "Nah, I'm not about to make a move on your man. The most I'm likely to do is flirt with him from time to time. If I take an interest in him down the road, I'll let you lovely ladies know first." she said, being perfectly honest with them.

Temari couldn't help but giggle at this point and looked around at everyone before returning her gaze to Gaige. "Trust me when I say this: he'll find a way to charm himself into your heart whether he intends to or not. Just spending time with him and getting to know him as a person is enough to make you fall for the guy." she said seriously.

Shrugging her shoulders, Gaige looked skyward and closed her eyes. "If it happens, it happens. I wouldn't mind either way. Besides, I'm only 15 years-old. I've got plenty of time left to find myself a nice guy and settle down."

Sakura frowned at this and shook her head. "In this world, at your age, you're pretty much counted as an adult already. Just wearing the headband of Konohagakure now means you're counted as an adult in the eyes of the village. You can legally marry and have kids now if you so wanted." she explained to Gaige. "So if you _did_ happen to fall in love with someone in our village, you'd be more than welcome to settle down with them and start a family. I assume that would have been difficult to do back where you're from?"

The redheaded mechanic chuckled and shook her head. "You have _nooo_ idea. Pandora was a mess. A real fucking _mess_. Toilets out in the open where people could see you, a perverted little Claptrap robot that wouldn't leave you or other people the fuck alone and who constantly annoyed people to no end, no private bedrooms to sleep in and the beds were screwed up too. The people were assholes, and for some reason a bunch of 'em were always pounding or knocking on doors and walls. It didn't make any damn sense, but it was annoying as hell. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say, Pandora is _not_ the kind of place where you'd want to raise a family. You'd want to go off world for that kind of business." she explained.

The other girls gave each other quizzical looks before looking back at Gaige. "They kept knocking on doors and walls? Was there some reason for this, or…?" Sakura questioned for the group.

Gaige shook her head and looked around at the group of women with a sheepish smile on her face. "Nope. No reason at all. For them, it seemed like it was just something to do. Pretty stupid and strange, I know, but that's what they chose to do with their lives. Like, "Hey, what do you wanna do today Fred?" "Oh, I dunno Tom. Why don't we go pound on Door A today huh?" "Sure thing. You do that and I'll go pound on Wall B. I haven't pounded on that one in a while." "Okay Tom, you have fun with that. Catch you later." Yeah...it just didn't make any damn sense!" Gaige exclaimed as she threw her hand up in the air, splashing water everywhere around her.

All the other girls sweatdropped at this, but they eventually smiled at Gaige as they figured she just needed to get this stuff off her chest before she exploded. "Well, look on the bright side Gaige-chan." Sakura said. "At least you won't have to deal with that mess anymore! You're here with us now and I'm sure you'll find that this world's a _lot_ better than what you've described. I'm sure you'll like it here." the pinkette said cheerfully.

Smiling brightly, Gaige waved her hand about and nodded. "Hey, I already love it here! It's so green and beautiful and just all around GREAT here! Plus, it kinda helps that there's some _great_ eye candy here." she said with a wink. "I'm so looking forward to the chance to kill bad guys too! And I promise, me and my buddy Deathtrap will make sure none of those Akatsuki goons harm Naruto! He's too darn cute to be taken by them damnit!"

Temari sighed and shook her head. "You really like calling Naruto eye candy, don't you Gaige-chan? If you keep this up, he might get the wrong impression and think you're genuinely interested in him."

The redhead quirked a brow and looked around at all the women sitting there with her. "Hey, who said I was only talking about Naruto? You all make some fine eye candy as well. I'm into women as well. Or did you not realize that? Like for instance…" Wading over to Sakura, Gaige leaned in close and began to run her hand up and down her side slowly before caressing her butt. "You are absolutely gorgeous Sakura. A fine, pert posterior and breasts that look just right on a girl of your size. Plus those lips...Mmm-mmm. You make me just want to kiss you." she said teasingly.

Turning to Rikku at this point, Gaige waded closer to her and, upon reaching her, took hold of one of her breasts and fondled it gently, causing the perky thief to moan slightly at her gentle touch. "And you, Rikku, are simply delectable. You're so energetic and full of life. And these breasts of yours, ohhh mama." she said before lifting Rikku's breast up a bit as she moved her head down and flicked the nipple with her tongue, causing the blonde thief to let out another erotic moan. "Mmm, that was fun."

Releasing Rikku's breast, Gaige looked around at the other women and began to laugh uproariously at their shocked expressions. "See what I mean now? I'm bisexual. Men and women, I love 'em both equally. So don't be surprised if I come onto you lovely ladies too." she said with a wink before she moved to get out of the hot spring.

As Gaige left, the other girls could only watch her until she was gone from sight. After she had gone, they all looked at one another with matching blushes on their faces. Well, almost, Rikku's was just a bit more pronounced due to what had taken place with her and Gaige. "Well...that was...something." Sakura said a bit unsurely as her blush deepened just slightly, remembering Gaige's touch on her body.

Rikku blushed a bit deeper and shook her head. "I think I need my Naru tonight. I need to cuddle. I feel so embarrassed right now." she said, thoroughly embarrassed by what had just happened to her.

Meru giggled and shook her head. "You'd better hope Captain Yamato doesn't have a problem with that then Rikku. He's been pretty strict on Naruto since becoming our team captain, so who knows?"

Rikku growled and clenched her fist tightly in front of her face. "If he tries to prevent me from cuddling with my Naru tonight, he'll get a swift kick to the balls for it! Nobody stops me from clinging to my Naru!"

Sakura blinked and looked at Rikku with a shocked expression on her face before turning to Meru and the others. "Umm...did Jiraiya-sama ever try to prevent her from cuddling with Naruto-kun before?"

Towa laughed at this and nodded her head. "Once, and he regretted doing so for a long time after. Rikku went Berserk on him in her Berserker dressphere and pounded his nuts _repeatedly_ for even _daring_ to say she couldn't cuddle with her 'darling Naru'."

Temari grinned and looked at Rikku with a newfound respect before extending her hand to her in a fist. Rikku giggled and bumped her fist to Temari's. "Way to go sister. Way to make that pervert pay for getting in the way of some Naru-kun snuggle time!" Temari cheered.

 _ **Meanwhile - On the Men's Side**_

Naruto couldn't help but sigh in relief as he slid down into the hot spring, letting the warm water work its magic on his aching body. Hey, he may heal fast, but that didn't mean he couldn't still feel sore after everything he'd been through lately! When Yamato slid in next to him, the blonde glanced at him for a moment before looking at the wall separating the two sides of the hot spring from each other.

"Wondering how your fiances are doing, Naruto?" Yamato questioned. "Or do you wish you could have joined them for some mixed bathing perhaps?" he continued with a sly grin on his face.

Blushing at this, the whiskered blonde shook his head rapidly to will the naughty images away before looking into Yamato's almond-shaped eyes. "No! No, Yamato-sensei. I'm just curious about what they're talking about over there is all. I guess I'm just lonely without them, y'know?"

Yamato sighed at this and nodded his head slowly. "I suppose that makes sense. If it helps though, you can talk to me. I'm here and I'm willing to listen to whatever you have to say. So if you have something troubling you that you want to get off your chest, feel free to talk to me about it Naruto."

Looking at his team captain, Naruto smiled slightly and nodded his head slowly. "Thank you Yamato-sensei. I think I'll take you up on that offer." he said. "There...is something troubling me actually." the young blonde admitted.

"Oh? Whatever could be troubling our resident Prankster King?" Yamato questioned, a sly smirk on his face.

Chuckling a bit at the nickname, Naruto continued on. "It has to do with the CRA actually. I wanted nothing to do with it at first, and now? Now I'm with _seven_ women. _Seven_!" he exclaimed. "I'm...I'm not sure if I can make them all happy. I care about them and love them all, but...what if one of them feels neglected or one of them gets jealous because they think I'm spending more time with one of the girls than the rest of them? Or...or…?"

Yamato put his hands on Naruto's shoulders and smiled kindly at him. "Breathe Naruto. Just _breathe_. Calm yourself down." he said calmly. "Do these women love you?"

Naruto blinked at the odd question, but nodded his head in the affirmative. "I...I'm pretty sure they do. I know Rikku does for sure, and I think the others do, but…"

Yamato shook his head and flicked Naruto in the forehead hard enough to make him wince in pain and clutch at his head. "No but's Naruto. They are all deeply in love with you. Nothing will stop them from loving you. No matter what happens, they'll stay with you through thick and thin. They want to be with you because they love you deeply and dearly. And they all care deeply for each other as well. If they didn't care for one another, then your little harem that you've built for yourself would _never_ work out in a million years. But because they care for and understand one another, they can work out any little problems that may arise between themselves in a peaceful way and still remain friends. Though from what I've seen, they're as close as sisters. I think you'll be just fine Naruto. So don't doubt yourself again. Okay?"

Nodding in thanks, the young Uzumaki gave Yamato a hug and smiled at him. "Thanks Yamato-sensei. I really appreciate it."

"No problem Naruto. Now, we should probably get out. We don't want to stay in here too long after all." he advised before climbing out and returning to the dressing room.

The whiskered blonde stayed for a moment longer, thinking about his girls for a short while longer, before he climbed out as well to go and get dried off and dressed.

 _ **Later that Night**_

As Naruto and Yamato were preparing themselves for bed, they heard a knock on the door. Looking at each other, they shrugged before Yamato went and opened the door, spotting Rikku standing there with a pillow and blanket. Quirking a brow, Yamato folded his arms across his chest and spoke, "And what, exactly, do you think _you're_ doing Rikku?"

Rikku pouted at Yamato and looked past him to her fiance for a moment before returning her gaze to Yamato. "I want to sleep with my Naru. Please Captain Yamato, don't keep us apart."

Frowning, Yamato eyed the two of them before giving Rikku his scary look. "You wouldn't be trying to have sex with him while on a mission, now would you?"

Screaming in fright, Rikku flailed about as she hopped back and tried to shield herself with her pillow. "Don't _do_ that Captain Yamato! I just want to cuddle with my Naru! It's really hard to sleep without having Naru by my side! Besides, why would we try to make love with you in the room? That'd be kind of...creepy. No offense intended, but I don't want anyone watching me when Naruto and I go squeaky squeaky in the beddy-weddy."

Naruto was blushing up a storm by now and had hidden underneath his blanket in an attempt to hide from Yamato's gaze. Yamato, on the other hand, couldn't help but stare at Rikku in a deadpan. "Beddy...weddy?" When Rikku nodded energetically with a bright smile on her face, the wood user just sighed and shook his head. "Whatever. Just come in already. If you want to cuddle together, I'll permit it. Just don't do anything more than that, alright? I'd like to get some sleep tonight." he said before returning to his bedroll to get some sleep.

Rikku cheered before stepping into the room. Closing the door behind her, she hurried over to Naruto and climbed into bed with him, pulling her blanket over them and laying her pillow down next to his. "I wuv you my Naru! I just couldn't sleep without you." she said as she snuggled against him.

Naruto would have said something, but as he looked at his girlfriend in her robe, he couldn't help but catch a glimpse at her breasts when he glanced down. Blushing deeply, he quickly returned his gaze to her eyes and immediately knew she had caught him. "I...I love you too sweetheart." he said. "Please don't tease me?"

Giggling, Rikku got a devious idea and leaned in close, beginning to nibble on his ear while she began to use one of her feet to begin caressing his crotch through his robe. After a moment of this, she whispered, "Did you enjoy seeing my breasts like that Naru? Do you like what I'm doing now? I bet you'd like to do more, wouldn't you?"

Naruto squinted his eyes shut and slapped one of his hands over his mouth as he tried to suppress a groan. After a moment, as he grew tired of his fiance's teasing, he slid a hand under his girlfriend's robe and under her panties. When he began to run a finger up and down her slit, she almost let out a gasp, but Naruto's lips met hers in a fiery kiss, taking her breath away.

Yamato sighed as he saw this going on and shook his head in annoyance. _Teenagers and their damn hormones, I swear. I'd better stop them before they go too much further._ He thought to himself silently as he rose from bed once again and made his approach.

As the nineteen year-old woman moved her hand into her fiance's robes to grasp his manhood, she nibbled on his bottom lip before tugging on it a little. Releasing his lip, she leaned in and whispered to him again. "I want you so bad right now Naru." The perky thief kissed him again, pouring as much passion into the kiss as she could. After pulling apart, she smirked at him as she continued to pump his cock. "Let's do it. The risk of being caught just makes it that much more excit-"

Before Rikku could say anything more, she happened to glance up and saw Yamato hovering over them with his scary face on. Screaming in horror, Rikku curled up against her fiance and began to shiver. Clinging to her lover, she pointed at Yamato and screeched out, "Kill it! Kill it with fire! Make it go away!"

Naruto screamed out in pain as Rikku's grip on his dick had become like a vice grip after Yamato had frightened her. Flailing about, he glared up at Yamato with tears streaming down his face as he tried to pry Rikku's hand off his privates. "Why sensei? Why'd you have to scare her? Little Naru might never work right again after this!" he exclaimed in a panic.

Rikku, realizing what she had just done, released her fiance's cock and, despite the fact that Yamato was there watching them, she began trying to massage it to soothe the pain, which only resulted in making Naruto hard again. "There, there little Naru. You'll be okay. I'm so sorry for hurting you!"

Yamato facepalmed and shook his head in exasperation. "Rikku...stop. Just...just stop. I want the two of you to go to sleep and stop fornicating. Naruto, you'll be fine. Your penis _isn't_ broken. Rikku…" When Rikku turned to face him, still rubbing her fiance's dick, Yamato sighed. "Just...go to sleep." he said before returning to his bedroll to get some sleep. At least he hoped.

The beautiful thief looked into her fiance's eyes and smirked at him before leaning in close and whispering to him. "Did you hear that Naru? He doesn't want us fornicating. I guess that just means we'll have to wait until we're alone or he's out of the room then, huh my darling? I can't wait for you much longer." she said as she began to nip at his ear teasingly again.

The blonde jinchuriki blushed fiercely as he looked into his fiance's eyes. "A-are you sure we're ready for such a huge step Rikku-chan? I'm...I'm a little nervous." he admitted, somewhat ashamed of himself for doing so.

Rikku frowned at him for a moment before kissing him sweetly on the lips. Leaning closer, she rested her forehead against his and offered him a sweet smile. "Naru, I want to give myself to you completely. I'm ready. But if you're nervous or you don't feel ready yet, I won't push you into it. I want us both to feel comfortable with it before we take that next step in our relationship. But…" kissing him again, she began to rub his cock again slowly as she whispered in his ear, "I promise you that I'll give you the time of your life if you just open yourself up to it."

Blushing fiercely, Naruto shot a quick glance over at Yamato before looking into Rikku's eyes and whispering back. "R-Rikku-chan, s-stop." he pleaded. When she didn't remove her hand or stop her ministrations on his member, he kissed her to keep himself from whimpering pitifully. Afterwards, he looked her in the eyes and smiled kindly at her. "Okay...okay already. I promise that when we return to Konoha, I'll try to make some time for us to be alone together, okay?" he promised, hoping that his promise would stop his lady love from practically raping him whilst Yamato was in the room.

Giggling happily, Rikku released her lover's cock and kissed him sweetly on the lips once again. "Good boy. I expect you to rock my world once we're back home. Got it Buster?" she demanded.

Naruto sighed and nodded his head slowly in defeat. "Yes darling. But I thought you weren't…"

Rikku pressed her finger against his lips and smirked at him. "Up up up! No Naru. I won't be having any complaints now. A woman always gets what she wants in the end. That's a lesson I thought you would have learned by now."

Sighing again, the seventeen year-old blonde nodded once again and wrapped his arms around his fiance, hugging her close as he started to drift off to sleep. "I know sweetheart. I love you."

Giggling, Rikku snuggled up against her younger lover and rested her head against his chest. "I love you too Naru. So much more than you could ever know." she said before drifting off to sleep.

 _ **The Next Day**_

As the group ventured down the road through the land of Taiyou no Kuni (Country of the Sun) towards Kusagakure, the team's captain, Yamato, suddenly stopped near a sign in the path and began to look around restlessly. Unsure about what he was doing, Naruto stepped forward and decided to pose the question on everyone's mind. "Umm, Yamato-sensei? Why'd we stop? What's going on?"

Yamato raised his hand and motioned for his charge to be quiet. After a moment, he motioned for his team to follow him as he diverted from the path and made his way into the nearby forested area.

Frowning in confusion at this, Naruto quickly caught up with him and began to question him again. "Okay Yamato-sensei, what's going on? Did you sense some enemies ahead of us or something?"

The Wood Release user looked around at his team before looking into Naruto's eyes with a hard gaze. Shaking his head in the negative, Yamato decided to explain himself. "No Naruto, there were no enemies ahead. I'm just trying to be cautious."

When Naruto looked about ready to interrupt him, Yamato held up his hand to silence him before he continued walking, leading the group through the forest. "While I don't believe Sasori was lying to us, there is always the possibility that this could be an Akatsuki ambush we're walking into. They could be lying in wait anywhere and I'd rather not risk the lives of my team. And before you say it," he continued, looking back at his team, "I _know_ how strong you all are. I've seen it for myself and I believe in all of you. But it's wisest to avoid confrontation with a powerful enemy when you can help it. Besides, our mission clearly states that we're to confront Sasori's spy on the Tenchi Bridge and capture him or her to bring back to Konoha for questioning so we can finally get some answers about Orochimaru and his whereabouts. Am I understood?"

Everyone nodded in understanding before they soon reached a clearing in the middle of the woods. Stopping there for a moment, Yamato turned to the group and began to speak once again. "Now, we've got some distance to go yet, but I wanted to pause for a moment to go over our strategy here." he began. "As the leader of this team and as someone that is familiar with Sasori after our encounter with him, I'll be transforming into him and greeting our spy."

"Isn't it dangerous to go alone though?" Yang questioned, a frown on her face as she folded her arms across her chest. "Sounds pretty dangerous to me."

Yamato nodded and continued speaking. "It is. That's why I propose we use a type of 'Buddy' system." he suggested. "We should work in pairs and watch each other's backs. Sakura, you're with me." Seeing her nod, Yamato looked around at the others and began to list off the rest of the teams. "Naruto and Temari, you'll make up another team. Rikku, you and Gaige are together for another team. Towa, you and Meru. Finally, Yang and Blake."

Temari smirked and quickly latched herself onto Naruto's arm. "Woohoo! I get to be with my Naru-kun!" she exclaimed giddily as she pressed herself against him.

Feeling his arm being sandwiched between Temari's breasts was a bit distracting for him, but Naruto managed to stay focused. "Got it Yamato-sensei. What will our roles be during the mission?" he questioned.

Yamato sighed at Temari's behavior, but let it go in favor of getting on with the mission. "You all will take up positions around the bridge and wait for my signal. Once it's given, you are to move in and restrain the spy. Our goal is to capture him alive, so lethal force is **not** permitted. I know that makes this mission _much_ harder, so I'm sorry. This spy is likely to be incredibly skilled and will likely put up a fight if we give him the chance, so act quickly and take him down hard as fast as you can. A sneak attack is our best bet."

Sakura frowned for a moment as she thought about their orders. After a moment, she voiced her worries, "Yamato-sensei, what if the spy realizes it's an ambush and acts before you can give the signal? What if he realizes you're not Sasori? Or what if this is all a trap set up by Orochimaru? What then?"

Frowning at this, Yamato shook his head and looked around at everyone, their faces showing their concern. "If that's the case, and it very well could be, then I will act to restrain our foe before they can escape. You are to use your best judgment and act when you feel it's best to do so. I trust in all of you to do what's right when the time comes." he said sincerely.

Smiling at him in thanks, the team quickly set off through the forest, heading towards the Tenchi Bridge once more. After all, today was the day that the spy would be arriving and it wouldn't do for them to be late.

 _ **Later - Tenchi Bridge**_

It was almost noon by the time they reached the Tenchi Bridge, and they knew the spy would be arriving any moment now. So, wasting no time at all, Yamato used a Wood Release: Transformation Technique to transform into Sasori and practiced imitating his voice for a while until he had it down pat. Afterwards, he instructed his team to take their places.

Naruto, Sakura, and Temari each walked together, making sure to remain downwind from where the spy would likely be coming from so they wouldn't be heard or sniffed out by whomever the spy may be. Once they found a good spot to lie in wait, they began to converse quietly amongst themselves. "So Sakura-chan, any idea who the spy might be?" Naruto asked.

Sakura shook her head in the negative. "Not a clue Naruto-kun. We don't know a whole lot of people from Oto, so it could be anyone. The only person I can think of would be Kabuto, but why would he be a spy for the Akatsuki? It just wouldn't make any sense to me."

Temari frowned and shook her head. "No, actually, it would make perfect sense if you stop to think about it. With Kabuto's skill set, it's obvious that Orochimaru would have made him a valuable member of his group, if not his right hand man like he is now. What better place is there for a spy to be? You wouldn't suspect him, and with all Kabuto's done in Orochimaru's service, I certainly wouldn't suspect him of being a spy either. But, considering the fact that we never suspected Yura of being an Akatsuki spy either, it's entirely possible for Kabuto to be a spy as well." she explained.

Nodding their heads in agreement with this hypothesis, the trio soon went silent as they watched the spy walk onto the bridge and stop about halfway across to wait for Sasori's approach. A short time later, Yamato, disguised as the deceased Akatsuki member, made his approach. When the spy turned to face the Konoha jonin and pulled back his hood slightly so that they could see his face, the ninjas of the group were shocked to see that it was, indeed, Kabuto Yakushi, Orochimaru's right hand man.

"Well, it looks like you were right Temari-chan." Naruto said. "But...I don't like this one bit. Kabuto's just as sneaky as that snake he follows. Yamato-sensei's in trouble and he probably doesn't even realize it yet."

Sakura placed her hand on Naruto's shoulder and shook her head. "Yamato-sensei will be fine Naruto-kun. He's been placed in charge of our team for a reason. Just trust in him to handle this appropriately, okay honey?" she assured him. "If he needs us, Yamato-sensei will give us the signal, just like he showed us."

Temari frowned and patted Sakura on the shoulder. "Umm, guys?" Now that she had their attention, she pointed towards the bridge. What they saw caused them to scowl. Orochimaru had shown his ugly mug and Kabuto was now standing beside their sensei with his Chakra Scalpel technique at the ready.

When he realized what was about to happen, Naruto performed a spherechange into the Gunner dressphere and took careful aim at Kabuto's hand. Right when he went to attack Yamato with the Chakra Scalpel, Naruto fired. The bullet flew through Kabuto's hand, causing him to scream out in pain and cancel out the technique, his hand hitting the wood hard enough to cause his hand to cry out in further protest and agony.

"Kami damnit! What the hell did you just do you rotten bastard?!" Kabuto shouted at the fake Sasori.

Realizing his cover had clearly been blown by now, Yamato began to shuffle backwards and raised his hand to make the signal, but Orochimaru attacked him with the Kusanagi, forcing him to forego the disguise if he wanted to survive.

Now that he was free of the disguise, Yamato flipped through hand seals and slapped his palms down on the bridge. " **Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!** " he exclaimed as a large dragon made of wood surged forth from the bridge and began charging towards Orochimaru. _That will only serve to distract him for a while at best. I can't beat him by myself. Time to bring in the others._ Reaching up his hand, Yamato gave the signal for his comrades to come to his aid.

When the others arrived on the bridge, Kabuto immediately zeroed in on the strange device in Naruto's hand before glaring into his eyes. "You. Naruto, are you the one that hit me with that strange technique?"

The blonde Gunner smirked at the glasses-wearing ninja before him and twirled the gun around in his hand. "Yep, and I'll do it again too if you don't surrender to us now. Come with us peacefully and you'll get to keep your limbs intact. Struggle, aaaand, wellllll...you'll find out just how much pain my girls and I can inflict on a person without killing them. I can promise you this: it's a LOT."

Looking down at his hand that had _finally_ healed, the medic nin glared fiercely at Naruto and shook his head in the negative. "I'm not going anywhere with you Naruto. But I see what you want. You want information on Sasuke-kun and Orochimaru, don't you? Heh, you won't be getting it out of me."

Yang cracked her knuckles and smirked as she slipped on her Ember Celica gauntlets. "Oh, that is _such_ a poor choice pal. Y'see, I've just been _dying_ to get my hands on a new punching bag, and from what I've heard about you? You sound like you'd make a great one!" she exclaimed before she charged forward and threw a punch at Kabuto's gut.

Kabuto, seeing this attack coming, dodged out of the way and attempted to hit the blonde bombshell with his reactivated Chakra Scalpel technique, but he was interrupted by a cry of " **Double Smack!** " and was soon struck twice by a large hammer and sent flying over the bridge and into the wall of the canyon they were hovering over.

Meru blushed a bit and glanced away. "Umm...oops? Maybe I hit him a little too hard?" she questioned somewhat apologetically.

Yamato sighed and would have said something, but when he saw his wooden dragon finally get destroyed by an enormous snake, he began to sweat. "Shit. I was hoping that would keep him occupied for a while longer." he said as he watched Orochimaru begin stepping closer towards them.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You shouldn't try to use the gift I gave you on me young one." Orochimaru said teasingly. "I'll admit I was surprised to see you again, especially when you used my own gift against me like that. I had thought that all my precious test subjects had died. And yet, here you are. But...it would seem you're still a failure after all. Your technique was nowhere close to the level that Hashirama's was at. Whatever am I supposed to do with you now?" he questioned as if he was talking about a failed lab project.

Yamato's team looked between Orochimaru and their sensei with confused expressions on their faces, but they quickly shook it off, deciding to question Yamato about it later. For now, they had Kabuto to capture and Orochimaru to either chase off or kill, if they were able.

Blake shouted out for Yang to watch out as she saw Kabuto coming at her from behind. Throwing her Gambol Shroud, she watched as Yang rolled forward away from their opponent before she pulled the trigger on her pistol to change the trajectory of her blade, sending it behind Kabuto. Pulling the trigger once again, she sent it flying through Kabuto's left shoulder before she tugged on the ribbon **hard** and yanked him forward.

Kabuto, unwilling to be captured so easily, forced the blade out of his shoulder and leaped away from Blake, glaring at her hard for a moment before turning his attention to Naruto with a smirk. _This whole situation is looking bad for me. But maybe, just maybe…_

"Naruto, tell me something. Do you still believe that Sasuke-kun can be 'saved' from the likes of us? That we 'manipulated' him into coming to us?" he questioned, the smirk on his face growing wider the more Naruto's face twisted in fury, or at least that's what it appeared to be to him. "Sasuke-kun _never_ saw you as the brother that you view him as, Naruto. There was _never_ a special bond there between the two of you. It was all in your head. Then again, you have always lived in your own, special fantasy world, haven't you Naruto? A world where everything is all sunshine and rainbows and nobody ever has to die. I bet you still try to spare all of your enemies, don't you? Believing that if you show them mercy, they'll 'pay it forward'. Tell me, are you going to show _me_ mercy?" he questioned before he began to laugh hysterically at the mere thought of such a thing. "Of course, you'd have to beat me first before you could even _think_ of-"

Kabuto was interrupted by the sound of six loud gunshots and a feeling that was quite unusual to him: searing hot pain. Looking down at his body, he saw that he had six new gunshot wounds to various locations on his body, each one hitting an organ that would normally be considered vital to living, but to Kabuto they were each easy enough to heal...given enough time that is.

Hacking up mouthfuls of blood, the medic nin collapsed to his hands and knees and began working on healing his internal injuries first to ensure he wouldn't die. He could vaguely hear a conversation taking place in the background, but he could barely make it out. "...-ould have killed him!" he heard.

"Relax Yamato-sensei, look. He heals fast from all kinds of wounds, even those." Naruto pointed out, aiming his gun down at Kabuto, who looked pleadingly up at Naruto, as if begging him not to shoot again.

Yamato sighed and shook his head. "Regardless, try to be more careful next time. We _do_ need to take him _alive_ after all." he stressed as he turned his attention to their more dangerous threat: Orochimaru.

The Snake Sage wasn't even focused on Yamato. No, his eyes were focused entirely on Naruto. Looking him over, the slippery snake licked his lips in anticipation of what he was sure would be either a fun conversation, a delightful battle, or perhaps even a scintillating taste of both. "Hmm, Naruto-kun, you've grown since I last saw you." he said. "Do tell me, how have you been?" he questioned curiously.

Naruto looked at his girls and nodded at them to keep an eye on Kabuto before he turned to face Orochimaru. Stepping up beside Yamato, he looked the Snake Sage in the eyes and frowned at him. "As if you haven't been keeping tabs on me Orochimaru." he said angrily.

"Oh ho, so I've been caught, have I? Tell me, how did you know I'd been keeping an eye on you?" Orochimaru questioned, genuinely curious about his young 'friend'.

"The Kyuubi and I may not always get along, but one thing we _do_ agree on is that we **hate** the smell of snakes. Your snakes were good at keeping themselves hidden, but they couldn't hide from the Kyuubi's senses. I was always careful when they were around not to reveal anything I wanted to keep hidden from the world so you wouldn't find a way to counter my abilities." Naruto explained.

Orochimaru couldn't hold back the applause he gave to the teenager standing across from him, nor could he hold back the laughter. When he had managed to calm down, he looked at Naruto with a positively giddy expression on his face. "Wonderful Naruto-kun! Simply _wonderful_! You turned out to be everything I had hoped you would be growing up! But I wonder…" the Snake Sage began to rub his hands together gleefully, "which of you is stronger? Sasuke-kun...or you, Naruto-kun? Perhaps a little test to find out?" he suggested.

Glancing over his shoulder, Naruto was pleased to see that his girls had managed to capture Kabuto and even placed a gag in his mouth to keep him from committing suicide by biting his tongue. Smirking at the captured 'spy', the blonde turned back to Orochimaru and waved him off. "Nah, I think I'll have to pass. We've already got what we came for, so there's really no reason for me to stick around and play with you today. Maybe next time?"

When the Snake Sage peered over Naruto's shoulder and saw the state his right hand man was in, he released a sigh and shook his head. "I see. So you were after Kabuto all along then? Or perhaps…?" Thinking on it for a moment, Orochimaru smirked and looked deep into Naruto's eyes. "You were hoping to get information on Sasuke-kun and me." he said with a twisted grin on his face. "I'm right, aren't I? Well then, I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist you show me what you've got after all, Naruto-kun! Fight me!" he commanded, quickly shooting forward like a snake about to bite into its prey.

Gaige quickly drew her Jakobs assault rifle and began to open fire on Orochimaru, forcing him to retreat from Naruto or risk being turned into swiss cheese. Glaring at him, the fiery redhead aimed her gun at him again and shouted, "If you want to get to him, you gotta get through all of us first ya creep! Now go, Deathtrap!" she exclaimed before throwing out her buddy, Deathtrap, who began its assault by firing a powerful laser beam from its eye right at Orochimaru, forcing him to jump nimbly out of the way or be divided in two from the sheer heat the beam was emitting.

 _This isn't how I had planned this at all. I had hoped to get Naruto-kun alone and test him a little, but this?! What_ is _all this?!_ Orochimaru thought as he avoided the razor sharp claws that the slow, mechanical beast had on his singular arm. When he saw an opening, Orochimaru produced the Kusanagi blade once more and stabbed it deep into Deathtrap, through its armored torso.

Deathtrap, unaffected by this, performed a whirlwind maneuver with its claw extended, the Kusanagi still buried deep in its chest. Orochimaru, not expecting the mechanical beast to still be able to move, was a mangled mess after the attack and currently laid on the ground, twitching occasionally as he struggled to move.

When Deathtrap finally vanished, taking the Kusanagi blade with it, much to Orochimaru's anger, he regurgitated a new body for himself, looking as good as new. However, he was _furious_ and was looking to take it out on the girl that cost him his favorite weapon. Before he could, however, he had to dodge a series of wooden spears shooting up at him from underground.

Yamato found himself smirking at Orochimaru as he finished dodging the last of his Wood Release: River of Spears technique's spears. "One thing you fail to understand, Orochimaru, is that we work as a team. We trust in one another and work together to overcome any foe, even you. You may want to 'test' Naruto, but we're not about to let you have your way."

Orochimaru snarled at this and looked into Naruto's eyes, almost as if seeking an answer. "Is _this_ your answer Naruto-kun? You refuse to face me yourself? You let others do the fighting _for_ you whereas Sasuke-kun would **never** have backed away from such a challenge?"

The blonde sighed and rubbed at the back of his head with his free hand, the other one still holding his gun. "Yeah, y'see, here's the thing Orochimaru. I'm not Sasuke. I never have been. I believe in something called _teamwork_. I don't believe that I have to do everything by myself. I have friends by my side that I can count on to be there for me when I need them to be. We fight together and we win together. They give me strength just as I give them strength. Sasuke? He doesn't have _any_ of that. Sasuke doesn't even know what true strength _is_. Sasuke will always be weak, which is why he's the perfect host for you Orochimaru. You and Sasuke were practically _made_ for each other. You're both weak spirited, weak willed, and weak in body as well. Losers in practically every way. How much more do you need to see that you're a match made in Hell?" Naruto taunted somewhat sadistically.

Orochimaru was seeing red by this point. Nobody spoke to him this way! Nobody! Without warning, the Snake Sage went through hand seals for one of his most powerful jutsu before opening his mouth and shouting out, " **Summoning: Ten-Thousand (10,000) Venomous Snakes Technique!** " before slamming his hands to the ground.

In mere moments, thousands of snakes began to appear from the grounds, all of them larger than a fully grown man and all of them _very_ venomous and poised to strike the team of good guys. As soon as he had finished his summoning, Orochimaru said, "Enjoy playing with my pets. I've got somewhere else to be. Farewell Naruto-kun. May we meet again." before he vanished from the area.

Yamato looked at his team for a brief moment as he wondered what to do in this situation. They were quickly surrounded by the snakes and things were looking rather grim, but he knew that Naruto and his girls must have _something_ in their bag of tricks. So, thinking on it, Yamato looked to Meru and asked, "Meru, can you do anything about this with your magic?" he questioned hopefully.

Meru looked around at all the snakes and nodded slowly. "I can try! But I think our best bet would be Naru-Naru's time magic. Think you can do it Naru?"

Naruto looked at all the snakes and frowned. "What about Towa-chan? She's far better at utilizing her time magic than I am with mine. And...now kinda warrants Towa's accuracy with her spells rather than me blundering with my magic."

Towa whacked Naruto in the back of the head and frowned at him before she began fending off any snakes that got too close. "You just need to believe in yourself Naruto. And you'd better do it soon, because we're going to be overwhelmed if you don't do it!"

Nodding in understanding, Naruto spherechanged back into his ninja getup before he began to focus on his magic. Once he got a good feel for it, he looked ahead at all the snakes and shouted out, " **Time Surge!** "

As time surged around him, Naruto began to move around with a kunai, severing the heads off of every snake he could for as long as his spell would last. When it finally ended, he nearly collapsed to his knees panting, but Meru managed to grab him by the shoulders and held him up.

The group watched as at least three quarters of the snakes dropped to the ground dead. The remaining 2500 continued with their assault, but before they could get any further, Towa activated a time spell of her own and finished the rest of them off before reappearing, panting the same as Naruto was. "That really puts a strain on the body." she said before standing straight and smoothing out her hair. "I'll be happy if I never have to see another snake for as long as I live." she grumbled out in frustration.

Yamato looked around at the group to see that, while frazzled by their near-death experience, they were all perfectly okay. Smiling at this, he turned to Naruto and Towa and decided to say his thanks. "Naruto. Towa. Thank you for saving our lives. However, we now have a choice to make." he said, getting everyone's attention.

Turning to Kabuto, Yamato narrowed his eyes at him and shook his head before returning his gaze to his team. "We've captured our target. Our mission is technically complete. We can return to Konoha now and turn him over to Hokage-sama and Ibiki for interrogation...or…"

Naruto frowned at this and looked his team captain in the eyes. "Kabuto told you where their base is before he attacked you, didn't he?"

Yamato nodded his head. "Bingo. But more than that, I managed to plant a seed on Orochimaru that will allow me to track him back to his hideout, just in case Kabuto was lying about the whereabouts of their base."

Sakura frowned at this and shook her head. "What if the seed falls off sensei? We'd be searching for the base blindly then."

Rikku shook her head at that and pointed between her and Naruto. "That's not true! Naru and I can use our Psychic dresspheres to dive into Kabuto's mind if we need to to find out _exactly_ where the base is. So if Captain Yamato's method doesn't work, then just leave it up to Naru and me! We can do it! Can't we Naru?"

Naruto chuckled and nodded at his beloved Rikku-chan. "Of course Rikku-chan. Though I'd be careful when entering this snake's mind. Who knows how fucked up it is in there?" he questioned, shivering slightly afterwards at the sheer imagination of it.

Yamato clapped his hands to get their attention once again. "Enough! Let's put it to a vote. All those in favor of following Orochimaru back to his base in an effort to capture the traitor Sasuke Uchiha and perhaps, if we're lucky, killing Orochimaru, raise your hands." When everyone raised their hands, including Yamato himself, he smirked and nodded at his team. "Then it's settled. We're going to end this once and for all. C'mon Kabuto, let's go for a ride." he said with a grin as he lifted the bound medic nin over his shoulder and began leading his team in the direction Orochimaru had fled in.

 _ **Orochimaru's Hideout**_

When the team arrived at a rather large rock formation, they were initially confused about what was going on. "We _are_ in the right place, right Yamato-sensei?" Sakura questioned.

Yamato nodded his head and pointed down at the ground. "He's underground, and I'm positive this is the entrance right here. Rather than try and force our way in and alert Orochimaru and Sasuke that we're here, I'll use some of my techniques to sneak us in." he explained. "First though, I'll be creating a Wood Clone to look after our friend here." he said, motioning towards Kabuto, who was still slung over his shoulder.

Looking around, Yamato found a good place to dig their way underground and moved over to it. Setting Kabuto down nearby, he created a Wood Clone to watch after him before moving back over to the spot he had picked out and called out the name of his Earth Release technique, creating a large hole. The group looked down the hole and whistled as it appeared that the hole went pretty deep underground. Looking around at his team, he began to give his orders. "Alright team, here's the plan. I'll go in first. Temari, when I give the signal, I want you to come in next. Then we'll go in this order: Rikku, Towa, Yang, Gaige, Blake, Sakura, Naruto, Meru. Understood?"

When everyone nodded in understanding, Yamato turned and jumped into the hole, disappearing underground. When they heard a whistle, Temari turned and gave her boyfriend a kiss on the lips before winking at him. "Couldn't resist sweetie." she said with a giggle before leaping into the hole after Yamato.

Naruto chuckled and shook his head in amusement as they all began to jump down into the hole one by one in the order Yamato had specified. Of course, before Yang jumped down, she decided she just _had_ to one up Temari. So, grabbing Naruto by the scruff of his shirt, she pulled him into a fiery kiss and began to probe his mouth with her tongue while rubbing his crotch (over his pants of course) with her free hand just to tease him. When she pulled back, she glanced down to see he was semi-hard and nodded her head with a grin. "Good. My job is done." before she leapt down the hole.

The blonde prankster groaned in discomfort as he tried to will his erection to go away. _Damnit Yang, did you_ really _have to go and do that? On a_ mission _?!_ He questioned silently before leaping down the hole when it was his turn to do so.

After a short time of walking through the underground tunnel Yamato had created, they came to a solid stone wall. "Well isn't that just peachy? How are we going to get through that?" Meru questioned with a pout.

Without saying a word, Yamato walked up to the wall and eyed a rather prominent crack in it. With a smile, he held his finger a few inches from the crack and used his mastery over his kekkei genkai to essentially drill a hole through the wall with his finger. Turning back to his team, he offered them a smile as he said, "That's how. Now let's go." before he leapt through the hole and into the hideout on the other side.

Once everyone was through, the black-eyed man looked at his team before he began to explain his new orders. "Alright everyone, I want you to follow me in the same pattern mentioned before. Chances are that wherever Orochimaru is, Sasuke is probably close by. Follow me."

As Yamato led them deeper into Orochimaru's base, the group couldn't help but feel tense. Yes, they had managed to chase off Orochimaru before back at the Tenchi Bridge, but now they were on his home turf. On top of that, they'd now have Sasuke to deal with as well. Their new goal was to capture Sasuke and return with him to Konoha. Keeping him alive was the goal, so they'd have to go with non-lethal attacks, while they had no doubt Sasuke would be doing his very best to try and kill them. On top of that, they had no idea how strong the Uchiha was now that he had received specialized training from the Snake Sage.

Eventually they came to a crossroads that split into three separate directions, four if you counted the path they had just come from. Looking around, Yamato frowned and shook his head. "I hate to say it, but we're going to have to split up here. Our primary goal is to search out and capture Sasuke Uchiha. If you encounter Orochimaru, either stall him and radio for backup or flee, do _not_ attempt to fight him by yourselves." he ordered. "Now, Meru, Rikku, Yang, you three go down the center path. Naruto, Towa, Blake, you go down the left. Sakura, Temari, Gaige, and myself will go down the right. Understood?" When everyone nodded, he said, "Then move out!" before turning and dashing off down the hallway with his team, the other two teams doing the same with their hallways.

After a while of opening every door they came across and finding nothing on the level they were on, Naruto's group proceeded deeper into the base. As they continued on, they heard the sound of footsteps growing closer to their position. Freezing where they were, Naruto, Towa, and Blake each watched as, out of the shadows ahead of them, Orochimaru emerged with a grin on his face.

"Ah, Naruto-kun, I see you've come to play with me after all. I didn't get to play with you earlier due to the interference of your friends, but perhaps you'd like to change that now? Or...perhaps you're here for Sasuke-kun? If so, I'm afraid you're searching in the wrong place. Too bad Naruto-kun. You'll have to play with me instead." the Snake Sannin licked his lips before throwing out his hand and shouting, " **Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!** "

Naruto went "Tch" before spherechanging into the Black Mage dressphere. Raising his rod above his head, he focused his magical energy and shouted out: " **Fire!** " In an instant, the snakes that had been rushing towards them were lit aflame, the fire spreading quickly down the snakes towards Orochimaru, who was forced to discard them, lest he be burned.

Looking at his girlfriends, Naruto nodded his head and smiled before he reached up and tapped a button on the headset he had been given. "Yamato-sensei, we've encountered Orochimaru. Requesting backup if you can provide it. I'll flare my chakra periodically to signal my position to you, so hurry." he said into the headset before he flared his chakra for the first time as a signal to Yamato.

Blake frowned deeply as she stared at the slippery snake before her. She knew she was strong, and she knew she could put up one hell of a fight, but this was an opponent on a whole other level compared to any enemy she had ever faced before in either world. One wrong move, one tiny slip up, and she could die. So, taking a deep breath, she drew Gambol Shroud from its sheath and prepared for combat.

Towa, on the other hand, couldn't help but smirk as she looked at the Snake Sannin. He had never seen the likes of magic before and she knew that with it, she had the element of surprise on her side. But more than that, she always loved a good battle, and this guy just rubbed her in all the wrong ways. So, taking hold of her Dagger of Eternity, she took a deep breath to steady her nerves and watched the snake for any signs of what he may try next. She'd be ready to counter any move he'd try to make.

Naruto, on the other hand, decided to get things started in his own way. Rather than wait for Orochimaru to make a move, which could be suicidal in its own right, he waved his rod and pointed it towards the snake with a smirk on his face. " **Blizzara!** "

When a cold mist surrounded Orochimaru and a large spear of ice shot up where he was standing, the slippery snake screamed out in agony. Quickly regurgitating a new body, he looked Naruto in the eyes as he shivered from the cold that he still felt. _What_ was _that? I didn't even sense it coming! That wasn't chakra at all!_ He thought to himself in shock.

Out of the corner of his eye, the Snake Sannin saw the black-haired lass come flying towards him through the air, swinging her weapon at his face. Chuckling at this, he pointed both hands at her and shouted out, " **Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!** " before sending a number of snakes at her from his sleeves.

Blake, having predicted this attack, quickly created a Shadow Clone using her semblance and sprung off of it, leaping behind Orochimaru and slashing his back a couple of times. Before she could do anything more, however, she was forced to leap back and away as the snake's neck extended, his head turned around, and he attempted to bite her neck. Needless to say, she didn't want to experience such a thing.

While Orochimaru was distracted with Blake, Naruto and Towa quickly looked into each other's eyes and nodded. Focusing on his magic once again, the Black Mage smirked as he said, "How about a little jolt to brighten your day? **Thundara!** "

When the snake was struck by a powerful bolt of lightning, Towa immediately cast one of her ice magic spells, sending it flying at the Snake Sannin, who, having been struck by lightning, couldn't dodge out of the way in time.

After being struck by two powerful spells, Orochimaru screamed out in a mixture of both pain and rage. Turning to Naruto and Towa, he attempted to use a technique, but found out that he couldn't. Trying again, he encountered the same problem. No matter what he tried to use, all of his techniques were unavailable to him. Looking at the two blondes, his eyes widened in horror. "What have you two done to me?!"

The ex-princess smirked as she folded her arms across her chest. "It's called Chemistry, Orochimaru. Combine two spells in a certain order and they tend to have a special effect. In this case, the effect our spells had is called Silence. Against other magic users, it would prevent them from casting spells. But against shinobi such as yourself? It prevents them from using their techniques. It's rather brilliant, wouldn't you agree?"

As Orochimaru began to panic and try to think of a way out of this mess he had gotten himself in, the wall behind him burst apart and Yamato's group appeared, trapping the Snake Sannin between the two groups. Seeing no way out of this, he decided to resort to using taijutsu in an attempt to get out of this. His target? Naruto Uzumaki.

Seeing as he was the target of a brutal assault and he was stuck in the Black Mage dressphere of all things, Naruto quickly backpedaled and performed another spherechange as soon as he got the opportunity. This time, when he finished transforming, he was in the Berserker dressphere.

The first thing Naruto did upon activating this dressphere was use his Intimidate ability to not only damage Orochimaru but to inflict the Slow status as well to slow his attacks down as well as his movement speed, thus making him easier to fight. Immediately afterwards, the blonde ninja smirked as he activated Berserk and went into a rampage, dealing a flurry of powerful blows to the slowed Snake Sannin.

When time finally returned to normal for the Snake Sage, he laid on the floor, bloody, broken, and bruised. Still unable to use any of his techniques, he struggled to stand, but ended up coughing up blood and collapsed under his own weight once again. "D-damnit… Damn you all!"

Seeing as he was no longer any threat, Yamato quickly used a Wood Release technique to crush Orochimaru's body into paste until there was nothing left but a broken corpse. When he finally canceled the technique, they all stared at the now deceased villain. "Is...is he really, finally dead now?" Sakura asked cautiously.

Towa looked down at the Snake Sannin carefully and tried to sense out for any spark of life that might be left within him. Shaking her head in the negative, she offered the group a smile before motioning for Yamato to take his head. "He's dead. Might want to collect his head so we can collect the bounty on him later."

Yamato nodded in agreement with her and quickly went about severing Orochimaru's head before sealing it away in a storage scroll. He was about to say something to his team, but they soon heard and felt an explosion rock the base and quickly realized what was going on. "Sasuke! Crap! I almost forgot about him!" the team's leader exclaimed before rising to his feet and motioning for his team to follow him as he began to dash off down the hallways in the direction he sensed Sasuke in.

Naruto gritted his teeth and shook his head angrily. "I swear to Kami that if those three are hurt because of him, that son-of-a-bitch is dead meat damnit. Please girls, be alright!"

When they finally emerged in an area where the sunlight was shining down on them, they saw Meru, Rikku, and Yang standing in the center of the crater with Sasuke standing above them, a smirk on his face. Thankfully the three girls seemed to be alright, but Rikku's right arm was hanging limply at her side, looking as she had been on the receiving end of a stab wound or something.

Quickly rushing over to them, Naruto went about checking them to make sure they were all alright before he looked back to Sakura. "Sakura-chan, please tend to Rikku! We'll deal with Sasuke!" he exclaimed.

Sakura nodded and hurried to Rikku's side where she immediately began tending to the perky thief's wound. Meanwhile, Sasuke looked down at Naruto with a sadistic grin on his face. "So, you've come Naruto. I had a feeling you would. Still planning to 'rescue' me? Still think of me as your precious friend?"

Naruto scoffed and shook his head as he looked up at Sasuke. "Nope and nope. You're a traitor Sasuke, and I'm here to kick your ass and drag your sorry butt back to Konoha to stand trial for your crimes. That's all there is to this. So I'll give you two choices: either surrender yourself to us now and come back willingly, or resist and get your ass handed to you. Which is it going to be? Please choose the second option, because I would _so_ love to pay you back for nearly killing me three years ago."

Sasuke couldn't help himself. He began to laugh at the mere _idea_ of losing to _Naruto_ of all people. Looking deep into Naruto's eyes, he cast the most powerful genjutsu he could on the blonde teenager. However, when he broke out of it mere moments later, Sasuke found himself scoffing. "So, you've learned some new tricks. Well so have I." the onyx-eyed Uchiha said.

Sighing, Naruto watched as his old rival disappeared in a burst of speed. "So slow." he muttered before slamming his fist into Sasuke's gut as he tried to slip behind him. Looking at the Uchiha as he spit up a glob of saliva onto the ground, he raised up his leg and slammed it down on Sasuke's back, knocking him into the ground _hard_. "I'm not here to kill you Sasuke. But if you push me too far, I'll break every bone in your body and drag you back by your damn hair. Do you understand me?"

Pushing himself to his feet, Sasuke glared hard at Naruto and quickly drew his katana, swinging it towards Naruto's neck. Sighing, Naruto slipped underneath the blade and performed a quick spherechange into the Thief dressphere. "I warned you Sasuke." was all he said as he began a fierce duel with the Uchiha, blocking all of Sasuke's attacks with one blade while making attacks of his own with the other blade which the Uchiha was having a hard time avoiding.

After a short while of this, Naruto began to flip around as he dodged his opponent's attacks, landing kicks and slashing Sasuke's face, the back of his neck, the back of his knees, his forearms, and even clipping his left ear. Twirling around, he slipped around in front of Sasuke and landed a couple of quick punches to his opponent's solar plexus, sending him skidding backwards about a dozen feet until he came to a stop.

Sasuke snarled as he fell to his hands and knees, his katana clattering to the ground in front of him. Punching the ground in frustration, he looked up into Naruto's eyes and asked, "How the hell did you get so strong?! What the hell is going on here?! You've always been a damned weakling! This is wrong! This is all _wrong_!"

Standing straight, Naruto looked down at Sasuke and shook his head in disappointment. "You're pathetic Sasuke." he said, enraging his opponent further. "Just look at you, throwing a temper tantrum because you're losing a fight. Boo hoo. You're like a big baby without your bottle." he mocked mercilessly.

Growling angrily, Sasuke stood up shakily and activated his Chidori before charging as fast as he could towards his blonde nemesis. "Die you rotten bastard! **Chidori!** " he exclaimed before thrusting his attack forward, aiming right for Naruto's heart.

Sighing, Naruto leapt over Sasuke and stabbed his dual daggers into Sasuke's back. As he touched down on the ground behind Sasuke, he clutched his daggers tight and lifted the Uchiha over his head before slamming him head first into the ground in front of him, knocking the bastard out while also eliciting a loud 'crack!' sound.

Spherechanging back into his ninja garb, the blonde ninja sighed and looked down at Sasuke before he looked at Meru. "Meru, think you could heal him? It's best not to leave him a crippled mess."

Nodding in the affirmative, Meru walked over and used one of her Wingly spells to heal the unconscious Uchiha. Afterwards, Yamato proceeded to use one of his Wood Release techniques to bind Sasuke while Naruto slapped a seal tag on his forehead to prevent the use of both his chakra and his Sharingan.

Once they were prepared, the team left Orochimaru's base and returned to where they had left the Wood Clone and Kabuto. They sighed in relief to find that they were still exactly as they had left them. "Well Naruto, it would seem your seal works wonderfully." Yamato praised.

Naruto pouted at this as he looked at Yamato. "Hey! I told you that my seals would do the trick, didn't I?! I studied under Jiraiya-sensei for years and they came easy to me. I know what I'm doing Yamato-sensei."

Yamato chuckled at this and nodded once. "Relax Naruto. I was only teasing. Now, let's take these two and head for home. I'm looking forward to finishing this mission and getting some R&R." he admitted.

Yang threw her fist up and cheered. "Hear, hear! I can get on board with that. I want a date with Naruto when we get back. You'd better take me somewhere nice Buster. You got that?" she asked him with a wide grin on her face.

Naruto chuckled and nodded his head. "Of course sweetheart. Now, let's get going. I'd rather not stay here any longer than we have to." he admitted before they all began the long trek home.

* * *

 **A/N - Okey dokey, that's the chapter. Hope you enjoyed it!**

 **As you can no doubt see, a LOT happened in this chapter. Kabuto was captured, Sasuke was captured, Orochimaru was killed, there was some fun in the hot springs, and...blah? lol.**

 **Anyways, again, I do hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N - As you can no doubt see by the title of this chapter, Naruto finally uses his magic to open a door to another world in this chapter. The title of the chapter should provide a hint as to which world he and his team will be visiting first.**

 **Anyways, that aside, it took a while to write this chapter. I kept getting sidetracked and lost my train of thought a lot, which really sucked. But then again, I have ADHD, so I tend to get sidetracked a lot anyways. lol. It's amazing I can even get anything written at all considering how often I get sidetracked by things when I'm trying to write. It kinda sucks. Like BIG time sucks. I love to write, and I love the moments where I can sit and write for hours. But then there's moments like there were during this chapter where I just couldn't focus on the chapter to save my life!**

 **There is also one very important thing I want you to remember as you read this chapter: In the game Time & Eternity, Zack isn't quite as bad as I make him out to be in this chapter. Yes he's a lecherous pervert that did those things I mentioned in the first chapter of this story. In the game, he tries to peep on Toki and Towa in the shower and actually succeeds in doing so if you follow the quests given to you. He also tries to see the other girls naked sometimes as well. It's...well...he's sort of like Jiraiya in that regard. However, he truly loves Toki & Towa and I don't think he'd do to Toki what he does in this chapter. So please, keep that in mind when you're reading this chapter.**

 **Anyways, enough rambling. I hope you enjoy the chapter. :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 8 - Bridging the Dimensional Gap - Time & Eternity**

Tsunade couldn't help but smile proudly as she watched Team Yamato enter her office, dragging both Kabuto and Sasuke with them. Looking into the team leader's eyes, she commanded, "Report."

Yamato nodded and began his report. "The mission went well Hokage-sama. Extraordinarily so. Upon arriving at the Tenchi Bridge, the identity of Sasori's spy turned out to be that of one Kabuto Yakushi. I managed to glean information from him regarding the whereabouts of Orochimaru's current hideout, but it turned out that Orochimaru had freed Kabuto from Sasori's control a long time ago and I was attacked by Kabuto. At the same time, Orochimaru appeared on the bridge…"

The Godaime Hokage frowned at this and asked, "Based on the fact that you're all standing here before me, with two of Konoha's most wanted at your feet, can I assume that either Orochimaru got away or you somehow managed to finish him off?"

Nodding his head once, Yamato continued. "Kabuto was defeated quite handily and captured by the team. He attempted go goad Naruto into flying into a berserk rage, but...let's just say that didn't go according to plan." he said, rubbing the back of his head. "As for Orochimaru, he seemed to have taken an unnatural interest in Naruto and tried to coerce him into a one-on-one fight against him. Instead of allowing himself to be baited, Naruto remained perfectly calm, and for that I commend him." he said proudly.

"When Orochimaru went to attack Naruto, Gaige fought him off and revealed her mechanical friend, Deathtrap, to us all. Umm...I'm not quite sure how to describe what I saw that thing do. Deathtrap's destructive power is insane, and Orochimaru was wounded as a result of his fight with Gaige's robot, I think she calls it." Looking to Gaige to see if he was right, he saw her nod at him with a smile on her face. "Well...Orochimaru attempted to slay Deathtrap with his Kusanagi blade, but...Gaige and Deathtrap ended up stealing the sword away from him. Gaige, if you'd please show Hokage-sama?" he requested.

When Tsunade looked at Gaige, she could see a sheath and sword handle poking out from behind her back that wasn't there before. _Huh. Must've purchased the sheath somewhere on the way back to the village._ She thought to herself in wonderment.

Gaige nodded eagerly and drew the Kusanagi from the sheath on her back and held it out for Tsunade to see. "See? This thing is **awesome** Hokage! It's so sharp and it was able to pierce Deathtrap somehow! Can I keep it?! I'd love to have something else I can use so I don't end up spending all my ammo too quickly."

The busty Godaime Hokage took the blade into her hands and examined it closely before nodding to herself. "This is, indeed, the Kusanagi. I'm surprised you were able to retrieve it. If you want it, the blade is yours Gaige. You'll need to undergo training in order to wield it properly though. Can you handle that?"

Grinning widely, Gaige nodded once before pumping her fist into the air. "Woohoo! I get to keep it! And no problems Hokage, I'll train hard as hell to learn how to wield this baby. I'm looking forward to it!"

Chuckling to herself, Tsunade handed the sword back to Gaige before smiling at Yamato. "Continue, please. I want to hear the rest of your report."

"Yes ma'am." Yamato said. "After losing his blade, Orochimaru unleashed a rather sizable army of snakes upon us before fleeing in the direction of his hideout. I am proud to say that Naruto was able to use his time magic without any repercussions this time, Hokage-sama. Together, he and Towa saved us. Afterwards, we proceeded to follow after Orochimaru, tracking him with a seed I had planted on his clothing during combat with him." he explained.

"Upon arriving at his base, I created a Wood Clone to watch Kabuto while the rest of us burrowed our way inside. Our primary goal at this point was to find and capture Sasuke Uchiha so we could bring him back to Konoha to stand trial for his crimes." Yamato continued. "Upon reaching a split in our path, we split up into three separate groups. The groups were as follows: Meru, Rikku, and Yang made up the first team. Naruto, Towa, and Blake made up team #2. Finally, the last team consisted of Gaige, Sakura, Temari, and myself. We had hoped that we would be able to find and retrieve Sasuke without alerting Orochimaru to our presence, but…"

Sighing, Yamato reached up and rubbed the back of his head before smiling awkwardly at Tsunade. "Naruto's team encountered Orochimaru and fought him. I...don't know the exact details of the fight from that point, however. Naruto, if you would?"

Naruto nodded once before continuing where his team leader left off. "As Yamato-sensei said, my team encountered Orochimaru in our search for Sasuke. The three of us fought him, but as a superior foe with a wide arsenal of ninjutsu at his disposal, we had to be careful. I decided to employ the use of magic against him via use of my Black Mage dressphere." he explained. "Once we saw a proper opening, Towa and I combined our magic and unleashed one of Towa's Chemistry effects on him."

Towa took over at this point so she could explain. "Chemistry involves casting two elemental spells back-to-back on a foe that will result in certain conditions. For instance, I can create lava that burns away at one's health or, in Orochimaru's case, I can cast a type of silencing effect on him that negates use of magic, or, in his case, all of his ninjutsu and whatever genjutsu he might have known. Needless to say, this made it impossible for Orochimaru to regurgitate a new body for himself whenever he took too much damage."

Naruto smiled at this and nodded his head in the affirmative. "It was at this point, when we thought he might attempt to flee from us, that Yamato-sensei's team arrived on the scene and helped us box Orochimaru in so he couldn't flee." he explained. "Without the ability to 'heal' himself, we were able to end Orochimaru's life. Yamato-sensei?" he questioned, looking to Yamato at this point.

Yamato nodded and, upon rolling open a small storage scroll, unsealed its contents, revealing to Tsunade Orochimaru's head. "As you can see, we took his head as proof of the deed."

Tsunade nodded as she looked at her ex-teammate's decapitated head. "I see. Great work, all of you. You'll all be paid an equal sum of the bounty that was placed on his head. Now, since I assume there's more, I ask that you continue."

Yamato sighed and looked at the team of three that had encountered Sasuke. Turning back to Tsunade, he continued with his report. "The remaining team of three: Meru, Rikku, and Yang, encountered Sasuke while we were busy with Orochimaru. When the rest of us heard an explosion, we hurried to reach the three of them to ensure that not only were they alright, but to make sure that Sasuke didn't escape us either."

Rikku rubbed her arm in remembrance of what had happened when they encountered Sasuke.

 _ **Flashback**_

The three of them had been searching for quite some time already for this Sasuke Uchiha they had heard so much about. Each of them were looking forward to kicking his ass and dragging him before their beloved Naruto. Sadly, every room they looked in was empty, completely devoid of life.

Eventually they reached a door and pushed it open, only to freeze as they saw Sasuke Uchiha standing there, his Sharingan activated, eying each of them carefully. "And who might you three be? You're certainly not guests of Orochimaru's, or else you'd know better than to disturb me when I'm trying to rest." he said grumpily.

Yang pumped her fist at this point before pointing dramatically at Sasuke. "We're here to drag your sorry butt back to Konoha! Try to resist and we'll kick your ass, pretty boy!" she declared.

Looking them over more carefully, he spotted the Konoha headbands they each wore on different parts of their bodies. Yang's was worn as a belt, Rikku's was wrapped around her left forearm near her shoulder, and Meru's was hanging loosely around her neck. Of course, he didn't know who these three were, all he knew was that they were here to drag him back to that Kami forsaken village that he had worked so hard to escape from years earlier.

"I see. So you three are kunoichi from Konoha then? I won't ask how you found this place, as I'm sure Orochimaru must have screwed up somehow. Instead, let me say this: I'm not going back with you to that rotten place. They were holding me back from obtaining true power. I would _never_ have been allowed to hunt down Itachi had I stayed. So if you're going to try and drag me back to that accursed place, then I'll just have to kill you all." he said as he drew his blade and dashed towards them.

Meru, seeing how fast he was coming, quickly blocked his blade with her hammer. Bringing one of her hands up to his face, she began to cast one of her Wingly spells, but Sasuke saw this coming and quickly shouted out, " **Chidori Current!** " As electricity arced along her weapon and into her body, Meru let out a loud scream of pain before she broke away from him and began to pant. She was experiencing occasional muscle spasms thanks to the electricity she had taken in, but with a little rest and perhaps some healing, she'd be fine.

Yang, furious at seeing one of her friends harmed in such a way, slammed her fists together and activated her Ember Celica weapons. Charging forward, she began throwing punches and kicks at Sasuke, each of which he was dodging by the barest of fractions. Finally having enough of it, she threw a punch towards his gut and fired off a shot from her gauntlet, only to find that Sasuke had slipped around behind her. Eyes widening, she thought for sure she was a goner for sure.

Rikku, having seen what Sasuke was about to do, dashed forward and slashed her dual daggers at him, forcing him to leap away from Yang. Sasuke stared calmly into Rikku's eyes and proceeded to begin a fierce dual of blades with her until he finally saw an opening in her form and stabbed his sword into her arm. However, he wasn't finished there. Once more he began streaming the power of a Chidori, only this time he funneled it through his sword and into Rikku's body, eliciting a shrill scream from her.

Meru, having enough of this, summoned a large amount of magical power from within herself and threw a large fireball at Sasuke to force him away from her dearest friend. Sasuke, seeing the power behind this strange technique, quickly threw up his arms and braced himself as the room exploded, causing the entire base to rumble and the ceiling to cave in around them.

When everything had cleared up and the sunlight began streaming in, Meru, Rikku, and Yang climbed out of the rubble they had been buried under only to see Sasuke standing above them. They prepared for more combat with the bastard, but they soon heard Naruto's voice and breathed a sigh of relief. _Thank God._ they thought as one.

 _ **End Flashback**_

"-ikku. Rikku!" she heard her name being shouted by someone.

Looking around, Rikku realized that everyone was staring at her now for some reason. Blushing in embarrassment, she rubbed at her arm where she had been stabbed and offered them a smile. "Sorry guys. What's going on now?" she questioned.

Tsunade sighed and shook her head in exasperation. "I was asking if you're okay now. They told me you were stabbed. I assume you're feeling better?"

Smiling at the concern Tsunade was showing her, Rikku nodded a couple of times in confirmation. "Yep yep! I'm feeling great! Though…"

The Godaime nodded her head in understanding. "Phantom pains, right? I know how those can be. It'll pass with time, I assure you." Rikku smiled in thanks to the Hokage and began to listen again as Yamato continued his report.

"Anyways, as I was saying, while Sakura tended to Rikku's obvious wound, the rest of us prepared to deal with Sasuke. However…" Yamato looked at Naruto and smiled. "Naruto was able to defeat him soundly on his own. Sasuke didn't take losing to him very well and tried to kill him, but in the end, Naruto was victorious over Sasuke and we succeeded in capturing him. And now, that brings us here, back to you." he said, finishing his report.

Nodding her head in understanding, the gorgeous Godaime Hokage looked at the two captured subjects and nodded again as she came to a decision. "Very well. Kabuto will be taken to T&I for questioning. He likely knows the locations of all of Orochimaru's hideouts as well as information on the people located at each. If we can get such information from him, we can systematically wipe out what remains of Orochimaru's forces. We may even retrieve valuable information from his hideouts. Then again, I'm not sure exactly _what_ we may find, so I'd recommend being prepared for anything if I happen to send you out in search of them." she said.

Snapping her fingers, Tsunade watched as two of her ANBU appeared. "Boar, take Kabuto to Ibiki. Tell him that I want he and his men to extract every last bit of information from this wretch that they can get." she commanded, watching as the mentioned ANBU disappeared with Orochimaru's right hand man.

"As for Sasuke, I'll be gathering the Council together so we can discuss a suitable punishment for him. Personally, I would prefer to just execute him, but I'm curious to see how many of those on the Council are willing to stick their necks out for this piece of scum. It will help me determine who needs to be replaced and who can stay." she said, glaring at the Uchiha. "Hawk, take the Uchiha to the Council Chambers. I'll be there shortly."

After Hawk disappeared with Sasuke, Tsunade turned to Team Yamato and smiled proudly at each of them. "You have all done exceptionally well. I'd love to give you all time off right away, but for now I must insist that you follow me to the Council Chambers. As those directly involved in the capture of Sasuke Uchiha, as well as you being the Uzumaki clan head, Naruto, your presence will be required." she said before she stood up from her chair and began to lead them out of her office and to the Council Chambers.

Snapping her fingers again, Tsunade waited until three more ANBU appeared, walking alongside them, before she gave her orders to them. "I want you three to gather the Council together. It's time to decide the Uchiha's fate." And with that one, simple order, the ANBU were off.

 _ **Council Chambers - A short time later**_

Naruto was seated in his designated chair in the Council Chambers, waiting patiently for the rest of the Council to arrive. So far, most of the clan heads had arrived, but the Civilian Council was taking their sweet time getting there.

As he looked down on Sasuke, he couldn't help but frown. The Uchiha was struggling against his bonds in a feeble attempt to break them. However, without access to his chakra, he couldn't break his bonds, nor could he use his Sharingan to save himself either. Letting out a sigh, he decided to just ignore him for now and focus on the meeting that would begin as soon as the rest of the Council arrived and took their seats.

After a short while, the Civilian Council finally arrived and took their seats. Looking at them, Naruto couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief. _They must really think themselves important to have taken their sweet time getting here. Smug bastards._

"Now that we're all _finally_ here," Tsunade began, glaring at the civilians, "we can begin. As you can no doubt see, Sasuke Uchiha has been captured and returned to the village."

When the Civilian Council began to cheer and praise their 'Sasuke-sama', Tsunade gritted her teeth and pounded her fist onto the table before her. "Shut the hell up!" she yelled, scaring the civilians into being quiet, though they each wore matching grins. "On Team Yamato's last mission, they encountered Orochimaru and his right hand, Kabuto Yakushi. Kabuto was captured as well and is currently under interrogation as we speak." she explained.

Before anyone could interrupt her, she continued speaking. "Team Yamato followed Orochimaru back to his hideout where not only did they defeat and capture Sasuke Uchiha, but they slew Orochimaru as well."

Eyes widening in disbelief at this, Hiashi was the one to speak up. "I'm sorry Hokage-sama, but I find that a little hard to believe. How could they have possibly…?" he began to question, only for Tsunade to present to the room Orochimaru's head. Needless to say, this effectively silenced Hiashi and any protest he could have made.

"No further questions or complaints regarding Team Yamato's prowess? Good." Tsunade said with a grin. "Now, the reason I have called this meeting is to decide what to do about Sasuke Uchiha. We need a punishment that will fit his crimes."

Before she could continue, the Civilian Council broke into an uproar. Eventually, one of the members silenced the others before speaking up on their behalf. "Hokage-sama, surely you can't be serious?! Sasuke-sama was a loyal shinobi of Konohagakure before Orochimaru's men kidnapped him and took him away! Surely he can't be held accountable for that?"

Naruto scoffed at this. "Sasuke Uchiha is a criminal. On that retrieval mission three years ago, when I attempted to bring him back to Konoha, he attempted to **murder** me. Sasuke was leaving of his own accord. His goal was to join Orochimaru and gain the power needed to kill his brother one day. Sasuke was _never_ loyal to Konoha, only to himself!"

"Quiet Demon! Nobody was asking you!" the same man shouted back in response, only to go wide-eyed and piss himself in horror when a large spear of ice shot down from the ceiling and almost impaled him.

Meru glared at the Civilian Council and shook her head in disgust as she lowered her hand. "Bastards. Don't you _dare_ talk to Naruto that way! Keep it up and you'll experience firsthand the kinds of horrors I can inflict upon you!" she declared angrily.

Tsunade clapped her hands together to get everyone's attention. "I have to agree. Keep your mouths shut if you know what's good for you." she said, glaring at the civilians. "Sasuke is a criminal. He betrayed the village of Konoha and attempted to murder one of our own when he tried to stop Sasuke from leaving. For these crimes, he _must_ be punished. Now, I am open to suggestions. Personally, I'd prefer to just execute him, but I'm giving you all a say in what should be done about him."

When the Civilian Council looked ready to protest again, Tsunade threw up her hand to silence them. "No, Sasuke will **not** go free. He wasn't manipulated in any way. I don't know how many times you idiots need to hear that before it gets through to your tiny, pea-sized brains. Now, unless you idiots can come up with a suitable punishment for him, I recommend you shut your traps."

Naruto found himself smirking as the Civilian Council went silent, angry scowls on their faces. Turning his gaze down to Sasuke, he began to speak. "Hokage-sama, if I may?" he requested.

"You may Naruto-kun. Do you have a suggestion?" Tsunade asked curiously.

"I do. I know you would prefer to execute him and be done with it, but personally, I think that's far too light a punishment for him." he said, starting to smile sadistically as he watched Sasuke squirm. "I recommend permanently sealing away his chakra and forcing him to live life as a civilian, knowing he'll _never_ be able to exact his revenge upon Itachi. On top of that, I recommend removing his eyes and giving them to someone more worthy of them, as once his chakra is sealed, they will no longer be of any use to Sasuke, wouldn't you agree Hokage-sama?"

Sasuke snarled at this and shouted, "You bastard! Itachi deserves to pay for what he's done! You can't take this away from me!"

Smirking wider, Naruto turned to the Hokage and pointed down at Sasuke. "I know another of his dreams was to restore his clan. I'd recommend performing a vasectomy to render him sterile. That way he can never achieve _either_ of his dreams. I think that sounds like quite the agreeable punishment, wouldn't you Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade smirked at this and nodded her head. "I find that punishment to be quite agreeable indeed, Naruto-kun. Does anyone have anything to add, or shall we go ahead with this punishment?"

Shikaku Nara yawned and scratched at his chin before he began to speak. "It would be a shame to let the Uchiha clan die out permanently Hokage-sama. So, while I agree with the punishment Naruto has suggested, I would recommend extracting a suitable amount of sperm from Sasuke before you perform the procedure to render him sterile. At least that way we can rebuild the Uchiha clan and nurture them from a young age to be better than any of the previous Uchiha were. And, this way, Sasuke will have no influence over them, as, despite being his sperm, they will not be _his_ children, and therefore he has no say in how they are raised. So, in essence, _Sasuke_ won't be restoring the Uchiha clan like he dreamed of doing, but we'll be restoring them ourselves and helping guide them to become better people than any of the previous Uchiha could ever have been."

The Godaime looked around at everyone and asked, "Alright, I can agree to that. What do the rest of you think? Does the punishment chosen match the crime?"

The Civilian Council looked at Sasuke for a moment before they began to discuss the punishment amongst themselves. After a moment, the same spokesperson as before began to speak up. "We can agree to this decision, so long as sperm is, indeed extracted. In fact, we'd even be willing to put forth our daughters as potential childbearers for the new Uchiha clan." he said, a greedy smile on his face.

Tsunade sighed and shook her head, having already expected as such from them. Ignoring that particular problem for now, she turned to the clan heads and waited to hear from them.

Hiashi was the first to speak up. "I can agree with this punishment, though I'd prefer _not_ seeing anymore Uchiha's brought to life. Still, I can agree with Shikaku's assessment and understand where he's coming from. So you have my vote Hokage-sama."

Choza was the next to speak up. "You have my vote as well. The punishment indeed fits the crime. However, may I ask who you plan to give Sasuke's eyes to after they are extracted?"

Tsunade frowned at this and shook her head. "I can think of a few people worthy of such a gift, but I'm currently undecided." she lied, as she already knew _exactly_ who she'd like to gift Sasuke's eyes to.

Nodding his understanding, Choza went quiet and waited for his fellow clan heads to give their votes. Inoichi spoke up next, "You have my vote. I'm sure Ino-chan won't be very happy with what we're doing to Sasuke, but…"

The busty Godaime Hokage sighed and shook her head. "You're thinking of allowing her to become pregnant using some of Sasuke's sperm, aren't you?"

Shuddering in disgust at the mere thought of it, Inoichi sighed and shook his head. "I...I just don't know Hokage-sama. I want my little girl to be happy, but at the same time...it just wouldn't feel right to me. So I'm at war with myself right now." he said sadly.

Tsunade nodded in understanding and gave him a sympathetic smile. "I understand. It's a hard choice and not one to be made right here, right now. Take your time and speak with your family about this Inoichi. Then, and only then, should you come to a decision regarding such a thing." she advised him.

Inoichi nodded his head in thanks before looking towards Tsume and Shibi, who had yet to cast their votes.

Tsume looked down at Sasuke and shook her head in disgust. "I hate the idea of allowing the Uchiha clan to come back, but if we can raise them right, then hell, you have my vote."

Shibi adjusted his glasses before he began to speak. "My vote is yours as well, Hokage-sama. Sasuke has brought this on himself, and it only makes sense to do what must be done for the good of the village as a whole."

Nodding in understanding, Tsunade looked down at Sasuke and smirked devilishly at him. "Fine then. As the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure, I declare Sasuke's punishment set. Sasuke, your chakra will be sealed and your eyes removed to be transplanted into someone else of my choosing. Furthermore, your sperm will be extracted and kept in our sperm bank before you are given a vasectomy to prevent you from _ever_ restoring your clan as you had dreamed. ANBU, take him away."

As the ANBU appeared, Sasuke began to scream out, "You'll all die for this! Do you hear me?! I'll find a way to make you all suffer! Nobody keeps me from my goals! NOBODY!"

After the ANBU vanished with Sasuke, Tsunade couldn't help but shake her head. "What a deranged little boy." she said before looking around at everyone. "Does anyone have any further business we need to discuss? Or can we call it a day?"

When nobody piped up, she smiled and clapped her hands together. "Then I declare this meeting over. You're all free to leave. Naruto-kun, I want you and your team to follow me. We have something to discuss." she said, leading Naruto, Yamato, and their teammates back to her office.

Once they were back in Tsunade's office, she activated the silencing seals and looked at the team of ten seriously. "I asked you to come here because I wanted to discuss a few things. The first of which is this: Sakura, how would you feel if I asked you to be the one to use Sasuke's Sharingan?"

Sakura blinked at this and pointed at herself in astonishment. "M-me Tsunade-shishou? But...why? Wouldn't it be better if they went to Naruto-kun?" she questioned unsurely.

Naruto frowned at this and shook his head. "While the Sharingan would be useful in combat, there's a problem. I'd love to be able to use the Sharingan to help suppress the Kyuubi if it ever started trying to take me over again. But...there's a chance that the Kyuubi could influence the Sharingan in some way if they were to be implanted in me. He could do any number of things, even blind me probably, and that wouldn't be good for anyone. If they went to you, however…"

Rikku saw where this was going and nodded slowly in understanding. "I get it! If Sakura gets the Sharingan, she could use them to suppress the Kyuubi if Naruto ever starts going out of control! After all, he can control up to four tails, but after that…? Not so much." she said, giggling nervously. "It wasn't easy bringing him back when he went five tails that one time, was it girls?"

The others that had been with Naruto on the training trip nodded as one. "That was a scary day. Luckily we were able to beat Naruto down enough for Jiraiya to slap a bunch of seals on him and force him out of the transformation. Still scary." Yang said, shivering a bit from the memory of that event.

Tsunade frowned at this information, not liking that Jiraiya hadn't told her about that particular incident. However, releasing a sigh, she focused her attention back on Sakura. "So Sakura, what is your answer? Will you accept the Sharingan?"

Sakura frowned at this and thought for a while on what she should say. Turning to look at her sensei and the rest of her teammates, she saw them all smiling at her reassuringly. So, after releasing a breathy sigh, she turned back to her master and nodded once. "I will. If it means I'll become stronger and I can help Naruto-kun in any way, then I'll do it."

"Excellent. I'll notify you when it's time for the transplant. For now…" Turning to Naruto, Tsunade frowned for a moment as she thought about what she was about to order him to do. Finally, she released a heavy sigh and shook her head. "Naruto, I think it's time for you to attempt and link up with one of your girlfriends' worlds. I would personally recommend attempting to connect to Towa's world first, as due to that world's knowledge of time magic, it might prove beneficial for you. Then again, the choice is yours alone. I can only offer you my advice."

Eyes widening at Tsunade's request, Naruto was about to protest against it, but Tsunade held up a hand to silence him. "Before you try and argue with me, saying you aren't ready yet or you don't think you can do it, I want you to listen to me. First of all, this isn't a request, it's an _order_. As your Hokage, I'm commanding you to make the attempt." she said. "But I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't have complete faith in you Naruto-kun. I believe you'll succeed. All you need to do is believe in yourself and your ability to keep your magic under control. It is my belief that you will succeed in this. So, do you trust me?"

Naruto stared at Tsunade in wonder for a while before a smile dawned on his face and he nodded his head. "Understood Tsunade-sama." he said respectfully. "Thank you for your faith in me. I promise I won't let you down."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it. I want to see this firsthand, so if you'll follow me, I'll take you to the Hokage's personal training ground. We'll be alone there and it seems like the perfect place to attempt this." she explained. "And just in case we end up sucked into their world, I've already ordered Jiraiya to look after the village for me in my place." she said with a smirk. Turning off the silencing seals, the busty Godaime Hokage began to lead the large group towards her personal training ground.

 _ **Hokage's Personal Training Ground**_

Naruto stood some distance from his teammates and Tsunade, just staring up at the sky. After a moment of just soaking in nature and allowing it to wash over him, he released a deep breath and looked forward before raising his hand and pointing it palm flat ahead of him. "Alright. Here goes nothing." he said quietly to himself as he began to charge his magic.

Once Naruto felt he had a good grip on his magic, he focused on it and the power he held before unleashing it, tearing open a hole in space right in front of him. Focusing on the breach in space, Naruto widened it until it was big enough for people to walk through. Finally, he used his magic to anchor the hole to that spot so it wouldn't dispel itself. Once he was finished, he fell backwards on his butt and began breathing heavily from the exhaustion he felt.

As Naruto's team rushed to his side, Tsunade stepped up to the hole and eyed it carefully. "Well, it looks stable enough. Are you sure you connected to the right world, Naruto-kun?" she questioned as she looked to her favorite knucklehead.

Rising to his feet with the help of his fiance and Meru, Naruto nodded his head. "Oh yeah, it's definitely connected to Towa's world. I could feel it when I made the connection. Just...gimme a moment to recover and I'll be ready to go."

Tsunade nodded in response to this and experimentally stuck her hand through the hole to see what it would feel like. When she felt a cool breeze caress her hand, she blinked in confusion. _Weird. That's not at all what I expected. Then again...I'm not sure_ what _I expected it to feel like. Perhaps this breeze is wafting from the other side of the wormhole?_ She pondered curiously.

Towa stepped forward with a hopeful look in her eyes. "I...I can finally see Toki and the others again? Enda, Reijo, Wedi, Grandma...I'll get to see you all again." she said, a bright smile stretching her lips.

Naruto smiled at his lovely blonde girlfriend and wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her close. "That's why we're going through it now. We're going to see how your friends and family are Towa-chan. Tsunade-sama...are you coming with us, or are you staying here?" he asked, looking at Tsunade.

The busty blonde Hokage sighed and shook her head in the negative. "I'm afraid I'm staying here Naruto-kun. I was only here to make sure it worked and to tend to anyone that might have been injured had it failed." she explained before she gained a serious look in her eyes. "Team Yamato, here are your new orders: journey through this wormhole and ensure that Toki-hime and her friends are well. Should anything go wrong or there turns out to be trouble in that world, you have my permission to deal with it as needed. When you return, I want a full report on what you saw and experienced in that world. I want to know if it's a world we can count on for trade and a truly beneficial partnership between us. Now go!"

Nodding in understanding, Team Yamato turned to the wormhole and, one by one, stepped through until Tsunade was the only one left in the clearing. "Good luck. All of you." she said, hoping that nothing would go wrong on the other side.

 _ **Wind Plains**_

Stepping out of the wormhole, they glanced around at their surroundings only to see that they were in a wide open field. Naturally, most of the group had no idea where they were, so they turned to Towa to see if she recognized where they were.

"We're on the Wind Plains, just east of Kamza." Towa explained. "Judging from our position, I'd say we're near the eastern end of the plains. We need to head west if we want to get to Kamza."

Nodding in response, the group proceeded to make the long trek through the Wind Plains towards their destination: the royal capital city of Kamza.

As the group made their way across the plains, they couldn't help noticing the various creatures roaming the plains. "Are those...robots?" Naruto asked, looking at some of the creatures as they began moving closer to the party.

Towa sighed and nodded her head as she readied her weapon. "Yes, those are robots Naruto. They tend to roam these plains. They're no threat to us though, so just deal with them as you would any other enemy and let's be on our way. I want to see Toki and the others as soon as possible!" the ex-princess exclaimed as she rushed forward to meet their enemies head on.

Looking at the others, Yamato sighed and pointed ahead. "Well, you heard the girl. Let's get a move on team!" he commanded before they all joined the fray.

 _ **Kamza - Hours later**_

It was early into the evening hours when the team finally arrived in Kamza. Glancing around, they could tell that the mood in the city was somber. Towa couldn't help but take a few steps forward and look around with wide, worried eyes. Turning back to Naruto and the others, she said, "Something's not right. Everyone is usually so full of cheer whenever I came into the city. But this…? Something's happened."

Yamato frowned at this and looked around curiously before nodding to himself. "Towa, do you think you could take us to meet your friends? Hopefully one of them will know what's happened."

Towa nodded and motioned for her team to follow her. "I'll take you guys to my old house that I used to live in with Toki and... _Zack_." she said, spitting out Zack's name with venom in her voice.

 _ **Toki/Towa's House**_

Upon arriving at the house, they could hear voices coming from inside. Listening closely, Towa soon recognized the voices and said to the others, "It's them. My friends are inside!"

When Towa went to open the door, Yamato placed his hand on hers and shook his head. "Shhh. Let's listen first and see what information we can get before we rush on in there. After all…"

Naruto sighed and piped in at this point. "You told us before that Moebius wiped their memories of you. They wouldn't recognize you." he explained, much to Towa's dismay. Seeing her downcast look, the whiskered blonde walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close. Tilting her head up with his finger, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in a soft, loving kiss. When they separated, Towa smiled at Naruto in thanks before the group began to listen in.

"It's been _three_ weeks already! I'm really beginning to worry about her." the voice of Reijo could be heard saying.

"I know! Who'da thought _that_ would happen, huh guys?" the voice of Enda could be heard chiming in.

"I feel so sorry for her. To think Zack would go and do such a thing behind her back...I didn't think he was that kind of guy." Wedi could be heard saying.

"I dunno, he seemed like a big flirt to me." the voice of Makimona could be heard saying, much to Towa's shock. "A flirt and a pervert. He _did_ try to peek on us when we were in the hot springs that one day."

"Ugh, I know! I still can't believe Toki actually _married_ that pigweed! Still, I didn't think he was the type to go and do _that_ to her." Reijo said next.

"Hey guys, my little fairy friend says there are people at the door. Should we let them in?" Wedi was heard saying.

Towa's eyes widened before she palmed her face. "Stupid. I forgot that Wedi has a fairy friend looking over her. Well, it looks like we've been found out. What now Captain?" she asked, looking at Yamato to see if he had any bright ideas.

Yamato sighed and watched as the door was opened. Standing there was an irate brunette with a blue hat on her head. When he opened his mouth to speak, Reijo beat him to the punch. "Who are you and why were you spying on us?"

Sighing again, Yamato looked to Towa for a moment before looking back at Reijo. "Hello. My name is Yamato. These are my friends. We were hoping we could ask you four for some information."

Towa sighed and shook her head. "Reijo," she began, catching Reijo off guard by the use of her name, "my name is Towa. You and I used to be friends, but...I doubt you and the others remember me anymore."

Enda popped up from behind Reijo and smiled brightly. "Hey! That's the name of Toki's daughter! What are the odds of that, huh Reijo?"

Towa blinked and looked at Enda for a moment, unable to process what she had just heard. When her brain finally rebooted itself, she couldn't help but smile. "Toki...named her daughter after me?"

"Whoa, whoa, hold up. What do you mean she named her daughter after you? And since when were we friends? I don't get this at all!" Reijo exclaimed, unable to process what she was hearing.

Wedi's voice could be heard saying, "Guys, she's telling the truth. My little fairy friend said that we should listen to what she has to say. So please, let them in so we can have this discussion inside?"

Reijo sighed and folded her arms across her chest, glaring daggers at them for a moment. When Wedi's voice could be heard saying, "Please Reijo? Don't be so stubborn about this." she finally stepped aside and allowed the team entrance into the house.

Taking seats wherever they could, Towa looked to her old friends and smiled happily at seeing each of them once again. When she looked at Wedi, she couldn't help but say, "Thank you Wedi, for believing me."

Wedi smiled and shook her head. "Not at all Towa. That...is your name, correct?"

The blonde ex-princess smiled and nodded her head. "Yes. My name is Towa, and I used to live inside of Toki as a part of her. We were two separate people sharing the same body." she explained, much to the shock of Toki's friends. "I know it may be hard to believe, but if you'll allow me to explain my story, you'll understand, I promise."

Makimona looked skeptical, but after a moment, she released a sigh and nodded her head. "Well, what the heck? I'm down for a little storytime session. How about you Reijo?"

Reijo frowned in thought for a moment before she finally caved in and said, "Fine. I guess. I'll hear you out, but only because Wedi seems to trust you."

Enda giggled and bounced up and down on her seat giddily. "Oooh! Storytime! I can't wait!"

Towa giggled at that and nodded her head. "As I said before, Toki and I used to share the same body. We were two souls trapped within the same body, and we could freely switch control of that body between the two of us." she began. "Well, on the day of our wedding to Zack, something terrible happened right before we could kiss and seal the deal, so to speak."

Releasing a heavy sigh at this, Towa shook her head. "Zack was killed by assassins. So Toki, using the power of her time magic, travelled back in time six months to change things so that her future with Zack would be saved. However…" Sighing again, Towa shook her head and closed her eyes as she continued on. "After returning from the past and trying to have our wedding once again, this time, Reijo attacked us." she said, looking Reijo in the eyes.

Reijo frowned at this and folded her arms across her chest. "This story is sounding more and more ludicrous every second. There's no way I would have _ever_ attacked Toki like that!"

Towa smiled and shook her head in the negative. "No, you wouldn't have. But you were possessed by something at the time. Anyways, once more Toki traveled into the past to set things right, this time going back three months. But after that, the wedding was interrupted by Makimona, who had gone mad with the power of the Something Four."

Makimona frowned at this and crossed her arms under her bust. "Why would I go and do something like that? Toki's always been kind to me."

Shaking her head once again, Towa looked down at the table before her and frowned. "Makimona...you were always so lonely back then. You wanted to use the power of the Something Four to get a boyfriend, and the thought of Toki and Zack getting married and being happy together when you couldn't even get a boyfriend bothered you something fierce."

Before the purple-haired woman could protest any further, Enda chimed in. "You have to admit Makimona, Towa here has a point. A few years ago you _were_ a really lonely person. But now you have us!"

Makimona sighed and nodded her head in understanding. "I suppose I can see that. Please, go on Towa."

"Thank you Makimona." Towa said, smiling at her. "Anyways, we traveled back one month in time to try and put a stop to what was happening. When we met our grandmother, she told us that we were trapped in something called the Moebius Loop. In order to break it, we needed to get our hands on the Something Four. Makimona, with your help we were able to enter the four gardens and collect the Something Four from their guardians. However, shortly after collecting the last of the Something Four...you showed up and stole them from us, going mad with their power. You attacked us and we were forced to fight you to save you from yourself as well as to get the Something Four back. Sadly...the Something Four were lost after the fight."

Makimona flinched at this and rubbed at her arm. "Umm...sorry for that. It sounds like I really caused you some grief."

Towa smiled at her and shook her head. "Don't worry about it Makimona. You four created your own Something Four for Toki and I to use, and it was with the power of the Something Four you four created for us that we were able to finally face the one that had been causing us all that grief: Moebius."

"Wait, Moebius? As in the Moebius Loop?" Enda questioned curiously.

"The very same." Towa said. "We chased Moebius back through time and eventually ended up going back to a full year before the wedding through our battles with her. What we didn't know at the time, though, was the fact that the more time passed and the more we fought against Moebius, the more our memories began to fade until we couldn't remember any of the adventures we had been on at all or any of the special moments we shared with Zack and you four."

"How sad." Wedi said, a frown on her face at hearing this. "I assume, though, that something changed?"

Towa nodded. "It turned out that a promise Toki and I had made when we were children was the cause of the Moebius Loop to begin with. So Grandma went back in time to prevent us from making that promise. However…" here, the blonde ex-princess looked back down at the table and began to fiddle with her fingers. "One of us would have to disappear."

The group of four friends gasped at that and a look of realization dawned on all of their faces. Seeing this, Towa nodded once. "We left the decision up to Zack. And...he chose Toki over me. I...ended up disappearing towards the end of the battle, leaving only Toki and Zack to finish the fight."

"But...that's so sad! That's like, _totally_ unfair!" Enda exclaimed angrily with a cute pout on her face.

"I have to agree. That doesn't sound very fair to you at all. Especially if you were just as in love with that musk thistle as Toki was." Reijo said.

Towa sighed and shook her head. "It's fine. Besides, Toki and Zack defeated Moebius for me and they got to have their wedding. So...it all worked out in the end." she said. "But...I was stuck in an endless void with Moebius as my only companion. Needless to say, I wasn't pleased about that."

"Who would be if you were trapped with the very being that took away your chance at happiness? I know I'd go insane if it were me." Makimona said.

The lovely blonde woman giggled and shook her head. "It...surprisingly wasn't all bad. Moebius allowed me to watch the wedding between Toki and Zack when it finally happened. But...more than that, Moebius opened my eyes to the kind of pervert Zack really was. I learned quite a bit about Zack that still pisses me off to this day when I think about it. Still, so long as Toki was happy with him, that's what really mattered to me. I don't think he's right for her though, but that's just my opinion."

"Not just yours anymore." Reijo said. "We all feel the same way now about that dogfennel."

"Yeah!" Enda exclaimed. "He's hurt Toki and we're all pretty mad about that!"

Towa's eyes widened in horror at this and she looked at the four of them in shock. "He...he hurt Toki? How? When? Is she okay?!" she asked in a panic.

Wedi frowned and reached across the table to take Towa's hand in hers. "Calm yourself Towa. Toki's okay, she's not hurt physically. Zack would never raise a hand to her like that. But…"

When Wedi looked away from Towa, obviously unable to say anything more, Makimona decided to just come right out and say it. "The bastard cheated on her and she found out about it just recently. Zack's acting like nothing's wrong, but Toki? We haven't seen or heard from her in a while. She's locked herself in her room at the castle and hasn't come out for three _weeks_ now. It's lucky that her servants think to bring her something to eat and drink for each meal of the day, or she'd have probably died in there." she said morbidly, causing her friends to glare angrily at her for saying such a thing.

"He... _cheated_ on her? I knew he was a lecherous pervert, but I didn't think he'd go that far!" Towa exclaimed angrily. "I'll murder that rotten bastard for hurting Toki like this!"

Yamato stepped forward at this point and placed a hand on Towa's shoulder, trying to calm her down. "Calm yourself Towa." Looking at her friends, Yamato decided to ask a question. "I'm curious, how many years has it been since the wedding took place?"

Reijo blinked at the sudden question, but answered anyways. "It's been four years since the wedding. Their daughter is turning three in a couple of days. Why do you ask?"

Nodding his head, Yamato looked at Towa. "It would seem time passes by just a little quicker here than it does in the world we just came from." he said. "My best guess is that Zack, after spending that long with Toki, got tired of 'sampling the same fruit' all the time and wanted something a little more from his life. Hence why he started this affair. How long has it been going on? Or was it just a one time thing?"

Wedi frowned and shook her head. "No, it's not a one time thing. Zack's been seeing two other women, both of whom are rich and beautiful. And considering Zack's our king now…? Well…"

Yamato nodded once again. "Zack lavishes them with expensive gifts and they don't tell a soul. Only problem is, one of them _did_ let it slip and now Toki's suffering for it."

"Bingo! You're pretty smart, ummm...wait...we never got your names!" Reijo exclaimed, pointing at everyone else in the room. "Who are all you people?!"

Sighing again, Yamato placed a hand to his chest and bowed to the group of friends. "My name is Yamato. My friends are: Naruto Uzumaki, Temari, Sakura Haruno, Meru, Rikku, Gaige, Yang Xiao Long, and Blake Belladonna." he introduced, each member of his team waving in greeting or saying something when he said their name. "Naruto ended up saving Towa from her lonely life in the void she was in with Moebius. It was an accident, but he pulled Towa from that void and into the world that Sakura, Temari, Naruto, and myself are from. You see, he wields a powerful magic, capable of opening holes in space & time. As a result of this, he's ended up connecting to other worlds and pulling people from those worlds into our own."

Naruto sighed at this and rubbed at the back of his head. "It's not like I do it on purpose." he said with a frown. "You try controlling magic _that_ powerful. It's not easy Yamato-sensei."

"Lemme guess, Naruto's magic is the reason you were able to come back here Towa?" Reijo asked.

Towa nodded. "Yes. It took a few years, but I'm finally back home. I'm...not here to stay however." she said.

"What?! Why not?! This is your home, isn't it Towa?" Enda questioned, clearly upset.

"Kamza will always be my first home and a place I would love to come back to whenever possible. But...my new home is with Naruto. I'm going to be one of his brides someday soon and I want to start a family with him. So my place is in his world now." Towa explained.

Reijo immediately picked up on something that Towa said and narrowed her eyes. "You just said _one_ of his brides. Don't tell me he's a pervert too!"

Shaking her head in the negative, Towa offered her dear friend a smile. "No Reijo, Naruto is a wonderful person. It's just...most of the girls you see here? We fell in love with him and we all wanted to be with him. Rikku got to him first and we were about to give up on him...buuut…"

Naruto sighed and rubbed the back of his head in agitation. "You see, in my world we've got these things called clans. I'm a member of the Uzumaki clan. In fact, I'm probably one of, if not _the_ last members of my clan. When a clan like mine becomes endangered like that, the village council can enact something called the CRA, or Clan Restoration Act, in an attempt to revive that clan. What this entails is…"

"Marrying multiple wives." Wedi surmised, interrupting Naruto before he could finish speaking. "You have to marry multiple wives and have children with each of them, don't you?" she questioned.

The whiskered blonde nodded and offered her a charming smile. "Bingo. You're pretty smart Wedi-chan!" he complimented. "I'll be honest here, I didn't ask to be put in the CRA. I mean, who would? Well, besides a guy like Jiraiya-sensei anyways. But...if it means I get to be happy with my girls, then I can't complain."

Reijo frowned at this and folded her arms across her chest. "It still sounds a little fishy to me. But...if it means you're all happy together…"

"We are." Rikku interrupted, glaring at Reijo as if daring her to speak ill about them and their arrangement. "Naru makes us all really happy. So don't complain Reijo."

The brunette threw up her hands and waved them in a placating gesture. "Okay, okay! I may not understand it, but if you're all happy sharing the same guy, I can't complain. Especially if it makes Towa happy."

Towa smiled in thanks. "Thank you Reijo." she said sincerely. "Now, does anyone know where Grandma is? If we can find her, I'm sure she can help us talk to Toki."

Enda threw her hand up into the air and exclaimed, "Oooh! I know, I know! She's probably down at Ricardo's bakery enjoying one of his cakes at this time of day!"

Towa blinked in shock at this before she began to shiver in disgust. "How can anyone enjoy those things? Ricardo's cakes were just _awful_!"

Makimona blinked at this and shook her head. "Well, they might have been that way in the time you came from, but his cakes are world-renowned in this timeline. They are just that good."

"I see." the ex-princess said. "I have to admit that I'm happy for the guy, despite how weird he can be."

Wedi giggled and nodded her head in agreement. "Ricardo is a pretty weird guy. That hasn't changed about him."

Yamato clapped his hands together to get their attention. "Alright then. It seems our plan is set. Let's go find your grandma, Towa, and enlist her help in aiding Toki-hime." he said, eager to get this self-appointed mission underway already. After all, they had already spent enough time chatting and getting caught up with one another. Now was the time to act.

 _ **Ricardo's Bakery**_

Upon arriving at the bakery, they immediately spotted an elderly woman dressed in red sitting at one of the outside tables enjoying a few delectable looking pastries. Approaching her, Towa spoke up, "Grandma? Do...do you remember me?" she questioned hopefully.

Anna paused, her eyes going wide in shock. She recognized that voice! Turning to face the person that addressed her, a bright smile broke out on her face. "Towa! I never thought I'd see you again! Oh dear, how have you been?!" she exclaimed, getting up to hug Towa tight.

Towa couldn't help but shed a few tears as she held her grandmother. "I've missed you Grandma. I'm so happy to see you again."

Anna held Towa close and gently ran her fingers through her long, blonde hair. "Sweetheart, sit down and tell me where you've been. You must have experienced so much since I last saw you."

The blonde ex-princess smiled and sat down next to her grandmother, waiting for everyone else to take their seats as well. Many of them had to grab chairs from the other tables, as there weren't enough around the table that Anna was currently seated at.

Once they were all seated, Anna looked to Towa. "So Towa, what have you been up to these last five years, hm?" she asked curiously.

Towa sighed and rubbed the back of her head. "I spent the first year trapped in an endless void with Moebius. It was _not_ a fun time for me. However, Moebius did open my eyes about Zack and his perverted nature, so I have to thank her for that."

Anna winced in sympathy for Towa. "Being trapped with Moebius couldn't have been very fun. But you're free now. Tell me more."

"Well…" Towa looked to her side and grabbed Naruto's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Turning back to her grandmother, she smiled happily at her. "Naruto ended up opening a wormhole right into the void I was in and pulled me through it. Moebius kind of gave me a push though…"

"Of course she did. You wouldn't willingly jump through a wormhole knowing the risks that come with doing so." Anna said. "After all, a wormhole such as that could lead anywhere, even link to other worlds or dimensions. Such things are incredibly dangerous. It would take someone truly skilled in space & time magic to create a stable wormhole and connect it to a specific location."

Towa nodded and gave Naruto's hand a gentle squeeze. "It turns out that Naruto accidentally opened the wormhole during an emotional breakdown he was having. But it led to my meeting him and I'm grateful for that."

Anna couldn't help but smile at Towa as she and Naruto shared a kiss with each other. "I see. So you've moved on from Zack. I'm happy for that. Especially now, after what has happened with Toki."

Nodding her head in understanding, Towa decided to continue from where she left off. "Anyways, I decided to train Naruto in the use of his time & space magic to the best of my ability. He made for a great student, but there have been a few mishaps." she said, giggling afterwards.

Naruto sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, I'm still getting the hang of my magic. Give me a break."

When Towa finished giggling, she patted Naruto's hand before returning her attention to her grandmother. "I've spent two years of my life there with Naruto and my new friends. I've met some amazing people too, including the toads of Mt. Myoboku and the Hokage, a woman by the name of Tsunade Senju. But...there is significantly more danger there than there is in this world. On top of that, a lot of the people of Naruto's home village of Konohagakure hate him for something beyond his control. So while I _do_ love it there, there _are_ things that worry me as well."

Anna looked at Naruto for a moment before returning her gaze to Towa. "I see. That strange power inside of him that I sense, that dark, vile energy...that's why they hate him, isn't it Towa?"

Everyone went wide-eyed in shock at this. Team Yamato was shocked that she could sense the Kyuubi inside of Naruto, while Reijo, Enda, Wedi, and Makimona were surprised to hear that something apparently dark in nature was within their new friend.

"How is it you can sense the Kyuubi?" Yamato questioned curiously.

The elderly woman giggled a bit before pointing at Naruto's belly. "I'm afraid it's impossible to hide something _that_ powerful from me. What's concerning to me is that an energy that dark and foul is far too dangerous to use. Tell me Naruto, when you've used this energy in the past, has it harmed you?"

Naruto nodded slowly and released a heavy sigh. "Yes. The Kyuubi's chakra is corrosive in nature. It damages me when I try to use it, and when I enter my four tails state…" he shuddered at this point, remembering how painful it was the few times he entered a four tails state in the past.

Anna nodded and released a sigh. "I suspected as much. We'll have to talk more about this Kyuubi later. Right now, I believe you were telling me about your time away Towa?"

While Naruto wondered what Anna had on her mind regarding the Kyuubi, Towa continued regaling her grandmother with the tale of her time away from her world. "Upon our return to Konoha, we were all put on a team together and became members of Konoha's military force. The majority of people there are ninjas Grandma. They're able to use some amazing techniques ranging from shooting fireballs from their mouths to summoning gigantic creatures!" she exclaimed, sounding a little excited about that.

Quickly composing herself, Towa continued. "Anyways, after that, we went and saved the leader of another village from these evil people called the Akatsuki. I fought a man named Sasori then. He was a puppet master, able to use puppets he created to do battle. We beat him, of course, but that was one of the most intense fights I've ever been in." she admitted with a small grin on her face. What? She loved the thrill of battle!

Anna couldn't help but giggle as she saw the sparkle in Towa's eyes. "You still enjoy a good battle, don't you Towa? I'm glad to see you haven't changed too much sweetheart."

Towa blushed in embarrassment, but continued anyways. "Immediately after that mission, we were sent on another to go and capture an enemy spy that used to work for Sasori. When we got to the Tenchi Bridge, we found out that the spy was actually Kabuto Yakushi, Orochimaru's right hand man. His master, Orochimaru, also appeared and a fight broke out." she explained.

Towa's grandmother smiled as she asked her granddaughter, "I assume you managed to not only win the fight, but capture the spy as well?"

The blonde ex-princess nodded with a smile of her own. "Yes! But Orochimaru unleashed a massive attack that very well could have killed us. Naruto proved that my lessons with him weren't wasted, however, and used his time magic to save us." she said, trying to play up her boyfriend to her grandmother.

Naruto blushed at the praise but shook his head. "It wasn't just me. You took care of the rest of the snakes he summoned. You deserve just as much credit Towa-chan."

Anna smirked at this and looked between the two of them. "Heh, you two are cute together. Anyways, what happened next?"

After giving her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek, Towa looked into Anna's eyes and continued her tale. "We followed Orochimaru to his lair and proceeded to finish him off. Afterwards, we captured a traitor to Konohagakure by the name of Sasuke Uchiha. He…" Here, Towa looked at Naruto and frowned. "A year before I appeared in his world, Sasuke nearly killed Naruto. So I'm glad things went differently this time."

Naruto gently squeeze Towa's hand in a reassuring gesture. "Don't worry Towa-chan. I'm not going to die anytime soon. I still have to become Hokage and start a family with you lovely ladies after all." he said sweetly.

Anna quirked a brow and looked around at all the women that she didn't recognize and frowned. "Towa, you're in a polygamous relationship?"

Towa nodded in response. "Yes, but we're all very happy together Grandma. We all fell in love with the same wonderful man and we couldn't be happier."

Nodding her head in understanding, Anna smiled at her granddaughter. "I'm glad to hear that. So long as you're happy Towa, that's all that matters to me. Now, what else have you been up to?"

"Well, after returning to Konoha with our targets, we had to go to a Council meeting to decide Sasuke's fate. I won't go into details, but let's just say the punishment more than fits the crime." Towa explained with a giggle. "After that, Tsunade ordered Naruto to try and open a portal to this world. And now, here we are."

The elderly woman looked from Towa to her old friends and asked, "I assume she sought you four out first?" When Reijo and the others nodded, Anna sighed and looked back at Towa. "What have they told you Towa?"

Towa clenched her fists angrily and said, "Zack's been cheating on Toki. They also told me that Toki hasn't left her room in three weeks. I think the only good piece of news they had for me was that they have a daughter that they named after me."

Anna nodded sadly. "Yes. When Toki caught Zack in the act...they had a huge fight. He broke her heart, Towa. And yet…" she sighed and shook her head. "Zack acts like nothing's wrong. Kamza hasn't been the same since Toki secluded herself away. She lit up people's lives, and now that she's secluding herself, the people are feeling almost as depressed as she is."

Naruto interrupted their conversation at this point. "That's why we came to you ma'am. We were hoping you could help us meet with Toki. We're hoping that we can break her out of her funk and make things right again."

Nodding her head in understanding, Anna looked between Towa and her boyfriend before releasing a sigh. "Alright, I'll take you to see her. Just know that even if you manage to help Toki, you'll still need to do something about Zack."

Towa nodded her head. "Of course. He'll be lucky if I allow him to live after hurting Toki like this." she said angrily.

Anna sighed and shook her head. "I'm hoping you can find a non-violent solution to this, but if he pushes you too far, I understand if you decide to get violent with him. After all, he's kind of brought it on himself. Just promise me you won't take it too far."

The blonde noblewoman frowned, but eventually acquiesced to her grandmother's request. "I promise Grandma. I won't kill him, but that doesn't mean I won't neuter the jerk."

Chuckling softly, Towa's grandmother nodded in acceptance of this. "That's all I can ask from you sweetie. Now, let's get going. It's time to get Toki some much needed help." she said before standing up and beginning to lead the group towards the castle.

As they walked, Towa held Naruto's hand, squeezing it tightly for support. _Don't worry Toki. We're coming to help you. You won't have to hurt anymore once we're through._

* * *

 **A/N - And that's the chapter. I know, you probably wanted to see a scene with Toki and a scene where they wreck Zack for his cheating ways. Well, that'll come next chapter, I promise. When that chapter will be though? I dunno.**

 **Anyways, I again wanted to reiterate that Zack isn't quite THAT bad in the game. Again, yes, he did do the things Moebius said he did in the first chapter of this story, but cheating on Toki? I dunno. With how hard he fought to be with her, I just can't see him cheating on her like that. But this is fanfiction, and for the purpose of my story, it fits.**

 **Anywho, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to what comes next. I don't know what story I'll work on a chapter for next, so just keep an eye out for whatever. lol.**

 **Also, here's a cast of characters list for ya:**

 **Meru (The Legend of Dragoon)**

 **Rikku (Final Fantasy X-2)**

 **Towa (Time & Eternity)**

 **Yang Xiao Long (RWBY)**

 **Blake Belladonna (RWBY)**

 **Gaige (Borderlands 2)**

 **Hope that helps you figure out which characters are from where. Take care folks!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N - Okay, as promised, here is chapter 9 of Three Spheres of Chaos. It took a while to get this one finished, but I like how it turned out. Hopefully you all enjoy it!**

 **Anyways, I must reiterate that Zack isn't quite THIS bad in the game. So please keep that in mind as you read this chapter.**

* * *

 **WARNING! There is a lemon in this chapter! Don't like, don't read!**

 **Chapter 9 - Zack & Toki**

It took a little while, but Team Yamato and Anna arrived at Toki's bedroom in the castle. Once there, Anna knocked on the door. "Toki, it's me, your grandma. I've brought some guests, and one of them is an old friend of yours. Will you please let us in?"

"Grandma?" they heard from inside the room, "I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in seeing anyone right now. Can you please just leave me alone?"

Anna sighed and was about to speak up again, but Naruto stepped forward and picked the lock on the door before pulling the door open. "Sorry Anna, but this way is just easier."

Nodding in understanding, the team stepped into the room, one after another, and took a look around the room. It was dark at first, at least until Towa flipped the light switch to the On position and lit up the room. When they looked at Toki, they were shocked. She had a pale, gaunt face and she was skin and bones, looking as if she had been starving herself.

Looking into her red eyes, Towa could feel tears stinging at her eyes. "Oh Toki, what's happened to you? You used to be so cheerful and bright. This...this just isn't right."

The redhead looked at Towa curiously for a moment before asking, "Umm, do I know you? I think I'd recall meeting you before."

The blonde ex-princess frowned at this before offering Toki a small smile. "You and I used to be incredibly close, Toki. At least...we were until circumstances changed. You are my most precious person besides Naruto here. I love you like a sister, Toki. All I want is to see you happy. But...I heard about what's happened. I'm ready to slice that bastard's man parts right off for what he's done to you."

Toki chuckled lightly before she began to cough. When her coughing fit died down, she offered Towa a gentle smile. "You're sweet. I'm sorry that I can't remember you. I feel as if I should know you, but try as I might, I just can't remember you. Also...please don't hurt Zack. I know he's wronged me, but I still love him. That's...why this hurts so much. I...I thought he loved me too. But…"

Naruto frowned and shook his head. "But he's been cheating on you, ignoring you and your daughter, and running this kingdom's reputation into the ground. Am I right?"

The pretty redhead nodded her head slowly. "That's exactly right. And yet, after all of that, I can't just ignore my feelings for him. I know it's stupid of me, but...but I just can't."

Reijo frowned as she looked at her best friend. "I'm sorry to say this Toki, but something _needs_ to be done about that nut grass. These people can help you do something about him. I know you don't want to see that knotweed hurt, but you _need_ to let them do something. I'm sorry Toki."

Toki looked around at everyone to see them giving her supportive smiles. Looking back down at her hands, she sighed and slowly nodded her head. "Alright. Just don't kill him, okay? I'll get a divorce and kick him out of my home. But...I just…" Sighing again, Toki began to shed tears. "I don't know. It hurts so bad. I really thought he loved me…"

Towa smiled at her friend and said, "Trust me Toki, he loved you dearly. He fought so hard to be with you. But...it seems his feelings have changed over the years. Zack was always a massive pervert, but I never thought he'd take it quite this far. I hate to say this, but he probably feels as if you're used goods by now and wanted something fresh and new to 'play' with. It's horrible to think that way, but knowing him? Well, I wouldn't put it past him to feel that way now."

As Toki began trying to wipe her eyes to rid herself of the tears, Naruto walked over to her and wrapped the redhead in a gentle hug. "You don't deserve to suffer like this. From what Towa-chan's told me about you, you were a bright and cheerful woman before this happened. After we deal with Zack, I want to see you smile again. Besides, you have a daughter that needs you. You need to buck up and be the mother she needs you to be again. Your husband is a bad influence on her and not somebody she needs to learn how to behave from. So please Toki-chan, once we've dealt with Zack, will you try and cheer up?"

Nodding slowly, Toki wrapped her arms around Naruto and buried her face in his chest as she began to sob. After a few moments of this, she let out a cry of anguish and clutched him tighter. The entire time, Naruto just held her and kissed the top of her head to try and help ease her pain.

After a time, Toki finally calmed down and began to smile. Looking up into Naruto's eyes, she began to giggle a bit. "Thank you. Whoever you are, thank you for everything that you're doing for me. It...it really means a lot to me. You're a good person."

Naruto smiled at Toki and placed a gentle kiss upon her forehead. "We'll be back after we've dealt with Zack. I make no guarantees, but we'll try to deal with him peacefully. If he attacks us, however, we _will_ fight back."

Nodding her head in understanding, Toki slowly released Naruto from her hug and watched as he and the others left her room. _They're really nice people. Whoever that guy is, he seems like a really sweet person._

 _ **Zack's Room**_

The group had checked the throne room first, as that would be the place that made the most sense for Zack to be. After all, _somebody_ needed to run the kingdom, or else everything would fall into chaos. However, he wasn't there. So Reijo sighed and led the way to Zack's bedroom.

Once they arrived, they could hear moaning and the sound of flesh slapping against flesh coming from inside the room. "I had a feeling that carpetweed would be here. Who wants to handle this?" Reijo asked as she looked back at everyone.

Yamato stepped forward and used a simple Wood Release technique to change his finger into a key that he used to unlock the door and push it open. Staring inside, he released a sigh and motioned for Naruto and Towa to come forward.

What they saw was pretty much what they expected to see. Zack was behind a pretty brunette woman, slamming his cock into her snatch over and over again. At the same time, he was using his fingers to pleasure two other women on his bed. "So, there was another woman that we didn't know about? That's it. Seeing this has cemented my hatred of the man and sealed his fate." Towa said.

"We're removing what makes him a man, if you can even call him one. I'd rather kill him, but we _did_ promise not to." Naruto said as he watched everyone on the bed reach their climax at the same time. Sighing, he palmed his face and shook his head. "Totally did not need to see that just now."

Wedi stepped forward and patted Naruto and Towa on the shoulder. "Is it just me, or does that one look like she's 3 - 4 months pregnant?"

Everyone took a closer look at the only blonde of the bunch and frowned. "She certainly _looks_ like she's pregnant." Naruto said. "And if she is, well, we know who to blame for that. Hey, Zack! If you're done, we need to have a little 'chat'."

Zack and his bedmates jumped in shock at the sudden voice. Spinning around on the bed, his dick hanging limp between his legs, the blue-haired male immediately shouted, "What the hell?! Get the hell out of my room! You don't belong in here!"

Towa smirked at Zack. "What? You don't remember me _Zack_? You should know me _very_ well. And you should remember something special about me as well. Take the time to think on it and I'm sure it'll come to you."

As the blue-eyed man took a closer look at the blonde royal, his eyes widened in sudden recognition and realization. "Oh shit… That can't be you, can it Towa? I thought...I thought…"

"That I was gone?" Seeing Zack nod rapidly, Towa smirked at him. "I was. At least until Naruto here rescued me. Now I'm here and I come to find out that you've been fucking _cheating_ on Toki! Do you know what I do to people that hurt Toki?"

Zack gulped nervously and quickly hid behind his bedmates. "Please don't kill me! I never meant to hurt her, but…"

"But what? There's no excuse for what you're doing here _Zack_! Toki trusted you! And for some reason she _still_ loves you enough to ask us not to kill you! Besides that, you have a daughter! What kind of example do you think you're setting for her?!"

When Zack went to reply, Naruto appeared next to him and yanked him off the bed by his hair. Before the blue-haired man could utter a word, Naruto kneed him in the stomach before tossing him on the floor in front of Towa. "Do as you please with him Towa-chan. Unless you'd prefer I do it?"

Towa shook her head and knelt down so she could look Zack in the eyes. "I _loved_ you Zack. Just like Toki does now. But Moebius opened my eyes to the kind of pervert you were. After that, I lost all respect I had for you and I grew to hate you. But I was content to leave you be so you and Toki could be happy together. And now that I'm back here? Well, I'm ashamed to think I left Toki in your lecherous hands. If I knew what you would do to her, I would have tried to find a way back here sooner to save her from your wicked ways. You've messed up _bad_ Zack. And now you have to pay for it."

"Please... _please_ don't kill me! I'll do anything you want! Just don't hurt me!" Zack begged.

Towa glared at the pathetic waste of space and said, "Anything, huh? Alright then, here's what I want: Agree to get a divorce from Toki. You are **not** worthy of her. You will not fight her for custody of your child that you have with her. Finally, you'll pick just _one_ of these girls to be with, rather than string them all along and treat them like sluts. Oh! One more thing: move out of the castle and into a place of your own. Do each of those things and I'll let you live. I'll even let you keep your man parts. Refuse to comply with _any_ of those demands and you lose your penis and balls."

Zack frowned at this and was about to protest, but his girlfriends spoke up first. "Who the heck are you to threaten him like that?!" "Like we'd ever let you remove his package!" "Yeah! What the hell is your problem anyways?! You sound like a jealous bitch!"

The blue-haired man went wide-eyed and started shaking in horror. "No… Girls, no. You don't know who you're talking to!"

"Obviously." Towa said irritably. "You three," she continued before pointing at the three women, "get dressed and leave. I won't tell you twice."

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" the brunette shouted. "We're staying! We refuse to let you harm Zack!"

As the other two girls shouted out in agreement, Towa sighed and shook her head. "Naruto? Think you can deal with them? I'll handle Zack."

Naruto nodded and stepped into the room. Looking at the three women, he offered a too sweet smile and said, "If you bitches don't leave _right now_ , I'll have to punish you. And you _really_ don't want that to happen." Losing his smile, he narrowed his eyes at them. "I don't take kindly to people harassing and insulting my fiance. So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to give you three to the count of ten to get out of that bed and start getting dressed. If you refuse to get the hell out of here, I'm cutting off one of your breasts. And believe me, I keep my word. So if you'd like to test me, you're more than welcome to. But I wouldn't recommend it."

The blonde and the redhead quickly did as they were told before Naruto could even reach the count of two. The brunette, however, decided to call his bluff, or at least what she _assumed_ was a bluff. "You wouldn't dare. All you're doing is trying to scare us. Well, I'm not moving from this spot. You don't scare me."

"5...6...7…" Naruto counted, completely ignoring her. The other women were currently in the process of getting dressed, and Naruto was more than content to let them leave. The brunette, however? She was pushing on his last nerve. "8...9...10. I warned you." Naruto said before pulling out a kunai and stepping closer to the brunette.

"Wait...you're not actually _serious_ about that?! Are you?" the brunette questioned unsurely as she slowly began backing away from him until she hit the headboard. "S-stay away from me!"

"Nope. I gave you your chance to run and you threw it back in my face. I'm a kind person, but, unfortunately for you, I always keep my word." Climbing on the bed, Naruto moved until he was leaning over her. "Say goodbye to your left breast." he said before quickly swiping with his kunai and lopping off her left breast.

When the woman screamed out in a mixture of horror and agony, the other women quickly ran out of the room, leaving their friend behind. "W-why?! Why are you doing this to me?!" the brunette cried out.

"It's simple really. You helped Zack hurt Toki-chan. That and you just plain pissed me off. So, I'd say you got what you deserved. Now, are you going to gather your things and go seek some medical attention? Or are you going to stay here and force me to cut off your remaining breast?"

The woman quickly got off the bed, grabbing her bloody breast off the bed, and slipped on her clothes, not even caring about the fact she was getting blood on the inside of her shirt. Without uttering another word, the brunette quickly fled the room to go and get some much needed medical attention. She also hoped that they would be able to reattach her breast.

Once she was gone, Naruto turned to stare at Zack. The blue-haired male had watched the entire scene and was sweating nervously. "Oh shit. Who the hell are you guys?!" he exclaimed in a panic. "You...you just cut off her _breast_! And she didn't even do anything to you guys! You're a bunch of psychos!"

Towa scowled and reached down, grabbing his dick in one hand while drawing her Dagger of Eternity. "Wrong thing to say _Zack_. Time to say goodbye to your man parts." she said before quickly slicing off his dick and balls. As he screamed in sheer agony, Towa smiled sweetly at him before putting a hand over his lost dick and balls. In an instant, Zack's man parts were incinerated with a fire spell, leaving no hope of getting them reattached.

Reijo and Toki's other friends were feeling pretty freaked out by what had just occurred. Looking at Towa, Wedi asked, "W-was that necessary Towa? Isn't...isn't that a bit... _much_?"

The blonde royal, tired of hearing Zack's screams, knocked him out with a chop to his neck. As he slumped to the ground, Towa turned to face Wedi and the others. "This way he can no longer give those women what they want. Nor can he impregnate anyone else. He's already gotten that one pregnant, and that's bad enough. Besides, Zack remembers me. He knows _exactly_ what I'm capable of. Therefore, he should have known to _never_ piss me off. I'd say he got what he deserved." she said before looking at Naruto. "And thank you honey for dealing with that bitch. Hopefully she's learned her lesson now."

Anna sighed and shook her head. "Even still, that was a _bit_ excessive, don't you think sweetie?"

"Not in the least. What needed to be done has been done." Towa replied grumpily. Turning to face Zack, she scowled and shook her head. "Hopefully this bastard agrees to divorce Toki and leave the castle. Otherwise, I'm going to have to get _creative_."

Naruto smirked as he looked down at the blue-eyed male. "I'll help you. I've got a number of pranks I'm ready to pull. Or we could just carve into him for a while until he agrees to cooperate. Either way works for me."

Rikku nodded excitedly and threw her hand up into the air. "Ooh! Ooh! Let me help with your pranks if you choose that option! That sounds fun!"

Naruto chuckled and nodded his head at her. "Alright sweetie. Now, what do we do until he wakes up?" he questioned as he looked around at his friends and loved ones.

 _ **Two Hours Later**_

As Zack came to, his eyes slowly widened as the memory of what took place flashed through his mind. Looking down at his crotch, he began to weep for his lost man parts.

"Wow, you really _are_ a pathetic bastard, aren't you?" Zack heard. Looking up, he wiped his eyes free of the tears before looking into the eyes of the man that cut off his girlfriend's breast. "Get up and stop your damn crying. You brought it on yourself."

Zack glared up at the man before him and slowly stood up. Walking over to his clothes, he began putting them on. However, without giving Naruto time to react, he picked up his sword and charged at the blonde. Swinging his blade in a diagonal arc to try and cut his opponent in half, he was surprised when Naruto just stood there and took the blow. What _really_ shocked him was when the foe he just cut down exploded like a bomb, sending Zack flying through his window and to the ground below.

"Ungh. What the hell was that?" the blue-haired man questioned as he tried to regain his bearings. Looking up at the window he just fell from, Zack groaned and pushed himself to his feet again. Glancing around, he didn't see anyone in the immediate vicinity and breathed a sigh of relief. However, the moment he tried to move, he felt a string snap against his chest. The next thing he knew was being pelted with a bunch of differently colored balloons, each of them splattering paint all over him.

Grumbling, Zack took a few steps in the direction of a door that led into the castle. Sadly for him, he triggered another trap that pelted him with a bunch of popsicle sticks, causing him to grumble irritably.

As he pushed on forward towards the castle entrance, he triggered three more traps. The first one lit his pants on fire and forced Zack to ditch them or be burned. The second one shot a wooden hand up and caught his underwear, giving him a wedgie. The third and final one caused a bunch of feathers to rain down on him from who the hell knows where? With the paint and the feathers sticking to his body, Zack clenched his fist tight and growled. "I swear to God I'm going to kill them for this humiliation."

"Oh really? And how will you do that without this?" a voice from behind him said. Turning around, Zack spotted a blonde woman with lilac-colored eyes. She was holding his sword and twirling it in her hand. "This is a nice blade you've got here. I think I might just keep it for myself. Or maybe I can give it to Naruto as a present. Either way, it's mine now." she said with a grin on her face.

Zack scowled at her and held out his hand. "Give it back. That's _my_ sword and I won't allow you to defile it."

"You mean like how you _defiled_ those women? Or more importantly, how you defiled Toki?" Blake asked as she stepped out of the shadows. "Toki has a pure heart and you crushed it with your selfish, vile actions. So we've decided to give you a choice."

Stepping out of the entrance to the castle, Towa said, "You can divorce Toki, let her keep her child, _and_ leave the castle for good, or we can get _real_ nasty. You don't want that, do you _Zack_?"

Zack looked around as everyone stepped out of the shadows and surrounded him. After a moment, the blue-eyed man scowled and shook his head. "This isn't right! Everything was fine before you showed up!"

"Fine for you, maybe, but not for Toki-chan or the kingdom. Nor was anything you did right by your daughter. Toki-chan deserves far better than the likes of you." Naruto said as he twirled a couple of kunai on his fingers. "Now, will you accept our little deal, or do you want a taste of what we can _really_ do?"

Not seeing any other option available to him, the blue-haired man sighed heavily before nodding his head. "Fine. I'll pack up my things and leave. Not like I give a damn anyway. Toki lost her appeal to me a few years ago. Yeah, she was always good for a quick fuck, but she just paled in comparison to some of the other women I've been with." he said before making a move for the castle entrance again. However, he was caught off guard when Towa's Dagger of Eternity became embedded in his left shoulder. Screaming in anguish, he glared at the blonde ex-princess. "What the fuck was that for?!"

"I refuse to let you talk about her that way! She's a wonderful person and you're demeaning her! I should kill you!" Towa exclaimed angrily as she ripped her dagger out of his shoulder.

Before Zack could reply, he saw Toki step out of the shadows with tears streaming down her face. He watched as she walked up to him, and when he went to say something, she slapped him _hard_. "How dare you?! I _loved_ you Zack! And all you say me as was a quick...a quick...God, I can't even say it! Where do you get off treating women like sex tools?! Especially me?! I'm your _wife_ for God's sake! You promised to stay loyal to me. But then you go and...ugh! I can't believe I ever loved you!" she yelled at him.

The blue-haired man sighed and shook his head. "If you're expecting an apology Toki, I'm not going to give you one." he said coldly. "Now, I'll go pack my things and then we can see about getting that divorce. I'm just not interested in dealing with any of you right now. You're monsters, all of you."

"Monsters? Us? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? You're the only monster I see here!" Meru exclaimed angrily. "I sincerely hope you learn to treat women with respect, or else we'll be back to make you pay for your vile ways."

Zack scoffed. "Whatever you say bitch. I don't need-" Before Zack could finish, he felt a heavy punch send him sailing through the air. When he crashed into the wall of the castle and cratered it, he groaned in agony. "What the hell just hit me?" he wondered.

"I did. You don't get to call my girlfriend a bitch. Now hurry up, go pack your things, and get the hell out of here. Toki-chan will send you the divorce papers when they're ready. And you'd better keep up your end of the deal, or we'll hunt you down and make you suffer!" Naruto said. He was clearly furious with this blue-haired bastard.

The blue-haired man collapsed to his knees and coughed up a few globs of blood. "Crap. That really hurt…" he said quietly to himself. Zack slowly stood back up and stared hard at the whiskered male of the group. Finally, he released a sigh and proceeded to leave the area, entering the castle so he could go and pack his things.

Once he was gone, Toki quickly hugged onto Naruto and clutched his shirt tight as she began to thank him over and over again. Naruto just held her and rubbed her back up and down to try and soothe her. "You don't need to thank us Toki-chan. We're glad to help you with anything you could ever need. You're a friend to all of us now. And you're like a sister to Towa-chan, so when we heard you were hurting, we all wanted to do whatever we could to make you smile again. So what do you say? Can you give me a smile?"

Toki blushed brightly as she looked into Naruto's eyes and offered him a radiant smile. "Is this good?" she asked.

Naruto blushed as he saw her smile. Slowly nodding his head, he said, "That's great. You look beautiful Toki-chan."

Blushing just a tad deeper, the redhead couldn't help but smile at him. "You're a real charmer, aren't you? It's no wonder all these women fell in love with you. And, if I'm not mistaken, you're in a polygamous relationship with them, aren't you?" Seeing him nod, Toki gained a sly smirk on her face and slowly pressed her lips to his in a chaste kiss. When she pulled away, she giggled at his stupefied expression. "Thank you Naruto. And thank all of you as well." she said, turning to look at everyone.

Reijo stepped forward and pointed at Naruto. "What the heck are you doing kissing this guy Toki?! You barely know him! Do you want to go rushing into another relationship so soon?"

Toki shook her head and smiled at Reijo. "It's not like that Reijo. I...just wanted to show him my gratitude is all. That, and you have to admit that he's pretty cute. I just couldn't help myself."

Anna stepped forward and hugged her granddaughter close. As she gently ran her fingers through Toki's long, red locks, she couldn't help but giggle a bit. "That he is, darling. But I'd recommend avoiding entering a relationship so soon. Let your heart heal first. You don't want to rush into anything, after all."

The red-eyed woman smiled at her grandmother and nodded in understanding. "Don't worry Grandma, I won't be jumping into another relationship so soon. But…" Looking at Naruto at this point, the redhead smiled at him. "I would like to get to know you better. Maybe start off as friends?"

Naruto smiled warmly at her and said, "I already considered you a friend, Toki-chan. I'll try to drop by as often as I can to really cement our friendship. I live in another world, probably another dimension entirely, and I doubt you can get there. But...I might be able to create an anchor of sorts to link our worlds together. I live in a safe compound in my village that nobody can access without permission, so I might be able to create a wormhole that will always stay active, just in case you want to come pay me a visit sometime. Er, pay _us_ a visit I mean." he said, blushing a bit at his slip-up.

Toki smirked at him as she caught his slip-up. Stepping back from her grandmother, she walked to Naruto and leaned in close to whisper in his ear, "You really want to see me more often, don't you Naruto? I think that's cute. I'll be sure to come visit you often. I'm sure my daughter, Towa, will be more than happy to be your friend as well. Who knows? She might even call you 'Daddy' someday." she teased.

Blushing badly, Naruto slowly nodded his head. Before he could say anything however, Toki leaned in and pressed her lips to his again. The kiss lasted for a short while longer than the previous one, and when she pulled away, their faces were both flushed. "There. A little something to remember me by." she said with a grin.

Naruto nodded slowly as he simply looked into her eyes. When he was grabbed by the arm, he turned to see who had grabbed him. It turned out to be Towa, and she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. When they separated, she looked at Toki and said, "I love you Toki. You're like a sister to me. I realize I might end up sharing Naruto with you someday, but not right now. You just got out of a horrible relationship, and you should focus right now on repairing the damage done to your kingdom. You also need to be a mother to your daughter. After you've taken the time to get over Zack...then we'll see, okay? I'm _still_ trying to get used to the fact that I'm sharing my future husband with other women."

Toki smiled and nodded her head. "Of course. Right now I just want to focus on recovering from my heartbreak. In the future however? Well, we'll just have to wait and see how that goes."

"I'm glad to hear it." Naruto said with a kind smile on his face. "I'm really looking forward to getting to know you better Toki-chan. I've heard so much about you from Towa-chan already. I hope we can become great friends with one another." After a brief moment of thought, Naruto blushed a bit and asked, "Mind if we meet your daughter? I'd like to say hello to her. I'm sure Towa-chan would like to meet her too."

Toki nodded and motioned for them to follow her. "Of course! I'd love to introduce all of you to my little Towa. Now that I think on it, she was named after you, wasn't she Towa?" she asked, looking into the blonde's eyes.

The amber-eyed woman nodded her head. "Yes, your daughter was named after me. I'm really looking forward to meeting her. I really hope she likes me too."

"She will. I'm sure she'll just adore you Towa. In fact, I think she'll like all of you." Toki said as she led the way to her daughter's room.

Upon arriving at Towa's room, Toki knocked on the door to let her daughter know someone was at the door. Slowly opening the door, Toki peered inside and smiled when she saw her daughter drawing in a coloring book. "Towa, sweetie, there's some people here to meet you. They're new friends of mine that I'd really like you to meet. They might be older than you, but I hope you will make friends with each of them."

Child Towa looked up at her mother before glancing past her at Team Yamato. Little Towa smiled brightly and waved at them. When they saw her, they saw that she had red hair and blue eyes, showing that she got traits from both of her parents. "Hi people! My name Towa. Nice to meet you." she said with a big grin on her face.

Towa walked forward and knelt down next to Child Towa. "It's very nice to meet you Towa. Guess what. My name is Towa too. Believe it or not, you were named after me. Isn't that cool?" she asked as she reached out and gently took one of Child Towa's hands in hers. "You are such a beautiful little girl. I'm so glad to finally meet you."

Child Towa blinked a few times before looking at her mother. "This Towa too?" she questioned curiously. Seeing her mother nod in affirmation, Child Towa looked back at Towa and smiled as she threw her hands up in the air. "Yay Towa! Nice to meet you."

Naruto couldn't help but smile at the scene as he watched his girlfriend interact with Toki's child. Walking forward, he stared down at Child Towa and smiled at her. "Hello there Towa-chan. My name is Naruto Uzumaki. It's a pleasure to meet you. And my, you're such a cutie too!"

Child Towa looked from Towa to Naruto and blinked a couple of times before pointing up at him. "Naru." Looking at her mother again, Child Towa asked, "Naru new dada?"

Toki and Naruto blushed deep shades of red. Quickly waving her hands in front of her, she shook her head no a few times. "No Towa, he's not your new daddy. Your old daddy, Zack, is gone. He won't be coming back. Why? Do you like Naru?"

Child Towa looked up into Naruto's eyes and smiled brightly. "Like Naru! Naru new dada!"

Toki and Naruto just looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Turning back to Child Towa, the whiskered blonde gently patted her on the head. "I'm not your new daddy. Toki-chan and I don't know each other well enough for something like that to happen. Maybe someday, but not right now."

The mini redhead pouted and pointed a finger at Naruto's face. "New dada! Old dada not good. Old dada make mommy cry. You new dada!" she said decisively.

Naruto frowned in thought for a moment before he looked to Toki. "Maybe I could play the role of a father to her for the time being until you're ready to get back out there and find a new man?"

The red-eyed queen nodded slowly. "That would be alright with me. She needs a positive role model and you seem like a really nice guy. So, if it's alright with you, for the time being would you pretend to be her new father?"

The blonde male looked back at Child Towa and sighed. Looking at Towa and the rest of his girlfriends, he asked, "What do you girls think? I'll gladly do it, as little Towa needs a positive male role model in her life, but I won't go through with this if you have a problem with it."

Meru smirked and stepped up to Naruto, slowly sliding a hand up and down his chest. Leaning in close, she brushed her lips against his for a second before whispering in his ear. "I'm fine with that honey. Just think of this as practice for when we have children of our own. And believe me, we _will_ be having children."

Rikku walked up and slowly pulled Meru away from Naruto. "Not in front of the kid." she said sternly. Afterwards, she spun around to face her beloved. "I'm fine with it! She seems like a good kid, and this'll be good practice for you!"

Yang chuckled a bit before she walked up and lightly punched her boyfriend in the shoulder. "Yeah Handsome. You'll be giving us kids someday, so some practice now would do you some good. Though don't get too carried away and steal away with Toki somewhere. We'd have to hunt you down and drag you back home." she teased.

Blake giggled a bit at her girlfriend's antics before she looked at Naruto and nodded slowly. "If you're absolutely sure about this, then you have my support. She seems like a nice child, and I really don't see a problem with this if Toki is okay with it."

Yamato frowned and decided to offer his two cents. "Taking care of a child is a huge responsibility Naruto. Are you absolutely sure about this?"

Naruto nodded slowly and picked up little Towa, setting her on his shoulder and grinning. "Of course I'm sure! Just look at her. Isn't she the most adorable little girl you've ever seen?!" he asked before he began to tickle little Towa.

As Child Towa began to giggle like crazy, Yamato released a sigh and nodded his head in understanding. "You'll definitely have to anchor the wormhole in both worlds then. A child cannot go without her father for long periods of time. You'll need to revisit this world frequently to keep little Towa happy. And it might do Toki some good to have a friend she can count on to watch out for her as well."

The blonde teen nodded in understanding before he set little Towa down on the floor. Giving her a light shove, he motioned for her to go to her mother. However, when she stopped halfway and turned to look at him, he was confused. At least, he was until she said something. "Dada! Mommy! Kiss now!"

Naruto and Toki both blushed deeply once again before looking into each other's eyes. Looking back down at his new surrogate daughter, he said, "Daddy and Mommy don't know each other well enough yet to do that sweetheart. Maybe another time?"

"No! Now! Dada Mommy kiss now!" Little Towa exclaimed forcefully.

Naruto frowned at this and shook his head. He was about to say something, but when he felt someone grabbing his face, he turned to see Toki inches from him. Without a word, she leaned in and captured Naruto's lips with hers in a sweet kiss that left the both of them breathless. After a few brief moments, Toki pulled back and smiled at her daughter. "There. Is that good enough sweetheart?"

Little Towa nodded excitedly. "Yay! Dada Mommy kissed! Me want ride on shoulder again!"

Naruto, still blushing, chuckled a bit and lifted Child Towa up and placed her on his shoulder. Then he began walking around the room, listening to her giggle with a smile on his face. "You are such a little cutie Towa-chan. I bet your mommy is real proud of you, huh?" he asked, looking at Toki.

"Every day. She's my little pride and joy." Toki replied. "And I'll do everything in my power to raise her right so she grows up to be a kind and loving princess of Kamza. Zack was _definitely_ not the role model she needed."

"I think we're all in agreement there." Towa said. "I suppose we can stay for about a week and keep all of you company for a while. I'm sure Towa would be happy if we stayed for a little while. Wouldn't you sweetie?"

Child Towa giggled happily and nodded her head. "Stay forever!"

Toki frowned and walked over to her daughter before lightly poking her cheeks. "I'm afraid they can't stay that long sweetie. They have important things to do back in their home. But Dada will be sure to visit often, and we can go see him whenever you want too. Isn't that right Naruto?"

Naruto chuckled nervously and nodded his head slowly. "It's all dependent on if I can keep the wormhole anchored down. I can go to and from this world easily enough, but I haven't tried something like that yet. I'm afraid I might screw it up…"

Towa frowned at her boyfriend and whacked him in the back of the head. "Have more confidence in yourself. You got us here and you're gradually getting the hang of your powers. So believe that you can do it and you will be able to pull it off. Don't worry so much."

Naruto smiled in thanks at his blonde-haired girlfriend. "Thank you Towa-chan. I'll do my best, I promise."

"Good." Towa said before turning her attention to Toki. "Toki, I have a question for you. Do you know of something called the Something Four?"

Toki blinked a couple of times before slowly nodding her head. "Yes, I remember hearing about those. Why do you ask?"

The blonde ex-princess pointed at her boyfriend. "I'm wondering if they're still available for us to use. You see, Naruto has something sealed away inside of him that tends to be a real pain in the butt. I'm thinking that if we use the Something Four, we can put a tighter hold on that beast that's sealed in his gut. I'd say it's worth a shot at least."

Looking at Naruto for a moment, Toki frowned in thought. "If this creature is dark in nature, then I suppose utilizing the Something Four would be a good idea." she said. Turning to look at Towa, Toki said, "The Something Four are still in the four Gardens. If you want to get them, you do realize you'll have to ask the guardians first, right?"

Towa smiled and nodded her head. "Of course. We'll rest here for tonight and then set out in the morning for Olden's Garden first. Sound good?" she questioned, looking around at everybody.

Yamato looked at Naruto for a moment before turning his gaze to Towa. "Are you sure this Something Four of yours can strengthen the seal holding back the Kyuubi?"

The amber-eyed woman nodded once. "I'm positive that they will be able to do so. I just hope we can get the guardians to understand why we need them. They don't just give away the Something Four to just anyone, after all."

Naruto set Child Towa on the ground and smiled at his girlfriend. "I'm sure they'll understand. All we have to do is talk to them and explain the situation to them. As it stands, I'm susceptible to the Kyuubi's influence, and I'm not afraid to admit that. I have to be careful not to give into my negative emotions or the Kyuubi will take advantage of my moment of weakness to take over. So if the Something Four can help, I'm more than willing to do everything I can to obtain them and give them a try."

Toki nodded in understanding. "I see. Well then, I wish you all the best of luck. Also, if you don't have any place to stay for the night, you're all more than welcome to stay here in the castle. I'm sure Towa would be happy if you all stayed here tonight as well. Wouldn't you sweetie?"

Child Towa nodded her head rapidly and tugged on Naruto's hand. "Dada stay! Play with me!"

Naruto chuckled and nodded his head. "Of course. But tomorrow Daddy needs to go do something very important. So I won't be here tomorrow to play with you sweetie. Is that okay?"

Little Towa nodded slowly. "Okay Dada! Be careful."

"Thank you Towa-chan. You're a good girl." Naruto said as he lifted her up into his arms. "So, you wanted to play? Well, what did you have in mind?"

Tugging on his hair lightly, Child Towa pointed at her coloring books and said, "Draw with me! Me want see Dada art!"

"Alright, if you want to see what my coloring job is like, then let's have at it." Naruto said as he walked over to Child Towa's coloring book and sat down with her to begin coloring the artwork in said book.

Toki smiled at this scene for a short while before she and the others left the room. Once they closed the door behind them, the redhead released a soft sigh. Hearing this, Towa turned to her and asked, "Toki? Are you alright?"

The red-eyed woman nodded slowly before glancing back at her daughter's room. "I'm alright. But I worry for her. You guys won't be around all the time and she's likely to miss her new daddy when he's gone. I was hoping to give her a sibling to play with, but Zack had lost all interest in me and wouldn't even show me the time of day. Not like I would have let him touch me after catching him cheating on me." she grumbled out irritably. "But now? I think I may be getting her hopes up. She wants a brother or a sister to play with, and I'd love nothing more than to give her one, but…"

"I see. That is quite the conundrum then, isn't it? Naruto is a really nice guy, and I'm sure he'd be more than willing to give you a son or a daughter, but not right now. You need to recover from everything that's happened and then you two need to get to know each other better before you even think about doing something like _that_ with him. So it could really take a while, and you're worried that the longer you make her wait, the more depressed she'd become?" Towa questioned.

Toki nodded slowly. "Yes. He seems like a really nice guy, and I don't want to take advantage of his kindness just to get pregnant again. Besides...I'm not ready for that just yet. I just hope my little girl can wait and be patient."

The amber-eyed ex-princess frowned and looked hard into Toki's eyes. "You're not thinking of trying to seduce him tonight, are you Toki? Because it certainly sounds like you're thinking about doing just that, only so you can get pregnant. You should know that we haven't even taken that step with him, so I'd prefer it if you waited."

Toki blushed deeply and looked at Towa with wide eyes. "You...really can see right through me, can't you?" Seeing Towa nod in confirmation, the redhead sighed. "I'm surprised that none of you have taken that step with him yet. I wouldn't want to steal his first time then, no matter how much I may want another kid."

Towa breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. Thank you Toki for being so understanding. Now, what do you say we go and get caught up? I want to hear about what you've been up to during my time away."

 _ **Later that Night**_

Naruto laid in bed, simply staring at the ceiling as he thought over the events of the day. It had been a fairly interesting day and he wasn't quite sure what to make of everything. Here he was, in a new world, and he ends up cutting off a woman's breast, pranking the hell out of Zack, and chasing away Zack and his floozies. Then he and Toki kissed a few times and little Towa began calling him her new daddy. It was all just a bit much to take in.

When he heard his door creaking open, he looked to see Towa, his girlfriend, entering his room dressed in a nightgown. Smiling at her, he said, "Hey there Towa-chan. What's up?"

Towa sauntered her way over to his bed and climbed on. "Naruto," she said as she began crawling her way up his body, "something Toki said today really got me thinking. We haven't really had the chance to just be together, and...I want something _more_ from you than just a kiss or a hug. I want to give myself to you wholly. I want you to make love to me. And...I want to give birth to your child. I don't want to wait any longer for this…" she said as she pressed herself against him and captured his lips with hers.

Naruto blushed deeply at what she was saying, but he returned her kiss regardless of how nervous he was now feeling. When they parted, he asked, "Are you sure? It's not...y'know, too soon?"

 **Lemon Starts (Feel free to skip if you aren't interested.)**

The amber-eyed woman cupped his crotch and began to run her fingers along his length teasingly. "I'm more than sure, Naruto. And if I'm ready for it, then it's not too soon, now is it? Don't you want this?" she questioned before she began to nibble and suck on his neck, giving him a hickey.

Nodding slowly, Naruto gasped as she slid her hand into his boxers and grasped his dick. When she began to slowly move her hand up and down his dick, pumping it slowly, he released a shaky breath and nodded once more. "Okay, yeah. I'm ready for this." he said before he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and began kissing her deeply. As they kissed, he grasped the bottom of her nightgown and began lifting it up and over her head. Once it was off, he tossed it to the floor and looked his girlfriend's body over. She was only wearing a pair of panties now, and he could see that she was already a little wet just from the thought of doing this with him.

When Naruto began to gently fondle her breasts, Towa gasped lightly and began rubbing her clothed nether regions over his knee to give herself more pleasure. After a moment, she helped her boyfriend out of his nightclothes and, once he was in the nude, she began pumping his dick faster, earning a pleasured groan from him.

Moving one hand from her breast down to her panties, Naruto slowly guided her out of them and tossed them with the other clothes that were piling up on the floor. Afterwards, he helped swing Towa around so her dripping honey pot was nestled over his head. With a grin, he slowly inserted two fingers inside of her while he began to flick her clitoris with his tongue. As she released a loud moan from the pleasure she was feeling, he knew he was doing something right.

Looking down at her boyfriend's dick, Towa blushed deeply as she considered taking it in her mouth. However, she decided against it and just continued pumping it slowly with her hands until it was fully erect at a size of 9 ½ inches. Once it was fully erect, she began gently running her thumb over the tip just to tease her boyfriend a bit. When he groaned in pleasure, she leaned down and began licking his dick from the base to the tip, but she never once took it in her mouth.

Without a word, Naruto removed his fingers and shoved his tongue deep inside his girlfriend's pussy. As he began to twist it around inside of her, getting a good taste of her, he couldn't help but moan out when she began pumping her hands up and down his dick faster. After a moment longer, he removed his tongue and said, "Towa-chan, I'm gonna cum."

Nodding her head, she wiggled a bit to entice him into resuming his pleasuring of her. "Good. I'm close, so please don't stop." she begged.

Naruto inserted a couple of fingers in her waiting snatch once again and began to move his tongue in circles around her clit. When they both came moments later, Naruto's cum getting on Towa's face and Towa exploding on his fingers and waiting mouth, the blonde ex-princess' strength gave out and she collapsed on top of her boyfriend.

The whiskered blonde helped turn Towa around before flipping them both over so he was on top of her. Slowly, he began to rub the tip of his cock against her waiting vagina. After a moment, he slowly inserted it inside of her until he hit her barrier. Pulling out slowly, he soon gave a quick, powerful thrust and buried himself inside of her completely. When she cried out from the pain, he began gently running his fingers through her long, silky blonde hair and began peppering her face with kisses. "Towa-chan? Are you okay?"

"Y-yes. Just...don't move yet." she whispered back. For a few moments, they just sat there with Naruto's length buried inside of her and Towa shedding tears from the pain. After a time, however, she nodded her head at him. "You can move now. Just...take it slow, okay?"

Nodding once, Naruto slowly, ever so slowly, began to pull out until he was at her entrance. Then he began slowly guiding it inside of her again. He kept this up until she said, "Faster Naru. The pain's subsided, now I just want you to make love to me. Don't hold back."

Nodding again, Naruto leaned in and kissed her passionately on the lips as he picked up the pace of his thrusts inside of her. After a time, the whiskered man began to nibble and kiss her neck and collarbone, eliciting loud moans from his girlfriend. It didn't take much longer for the two of them to feel their releases coming. "Towa-chan, I'm going to cum. Are you sure you want it inside?"

Towa grabbed her boyfriend by the hair on the back of his head and forced him to look her in the eyes. "Give me your seed Naru. I want to give birth to your child." she commanded before kissing him as passionately as she could, taking his breath away. It didn't take much longer after this for the two of them to cum together.

When they came down from their highs, Towa smirked at him. "This time, I'm on top." she said before flipping them over and straddling her boyfriend's waist.

Naruto could only utter a few words as his girlfriend began to ride him hard. "Oh Kami-sama, this is going to be a long night."

 **Lemon Ends (Safe to read again!)**

 _ **The Next Morning**_

When the girls didn't see Towa in her room the next morning, they had originally assumed that she had just woken up earlier than the rest of them and was eating or something. However, when they went to wake Naruto up, they saw Towa curled up against him, the both of them in the nude. Rikku and Meru both pouted at this. "No fair! I wanted to be his first!" they both exclaimed before looking at one another and frowning. After a few moments however, they began to giggle. "I suppose we'll just have to take him next, won't we Meru?" Rikku questioned.

Meru nodded in agreement. "You thinking what I'm thinking Rikku?"

The perky thief giggled excitedly. "Oh yeah. Can somebody say: threesome?!" she exclaimed giddily before she and Meru high fived one another. When they both began to giggle again, they were shocked to hear Naruto's voice.

"Hello girls. I see you've caught us. Sorry, I'm sure you would have liked to be first Rikku-chan, but...well…" he said, looking at his amber-eyed princess. "It just kind of happened."

Towa giggled as she opened one of her eyes and looked up at him. "You could say that. But I took what I wanted and that's that." she said as she sat up and looked at the other girls. "I hope you don't mind too much?"

The other girls shook their heads and simply smiled at them. "It's fine." Meru said.

After allowing Naruto and Towa to get dressed, the ex-princess having to hurry to her room to do so, the group met Yamato in front of the castle. Looking at each of them, Yamato questioned, "So, are you all ready to head out? I'd like to get to these Gardens and collect the Something Four as soon as possible." Everyone nodded in affirmation before they all began to leave for Olden's Garden.

 _ **Olden's Garden**_

It took them until the afternoon to reach Olden's Garden, but when they did, they breathed a sigh of relief. "We're finally here." Naruto said tiredly. "That was a _long_ walk."

"Tell me about it. It feels like we've walked halfway across the world just to get here." Yang said.

"Well hello there. Look at all the pretty ladies! Could do without the men, but I'll take what I can get." a voice said to them.

Looking ahead of them, they spotted a strange, floating creature. "Umm...are you Olden, by any chance?" Blake asked curiously.

The creature nodded its head in affirmation. "Indeed I am cutie. Pleasure to meet you all. And…" getting a closer look at Towa, Olden's eyes widened a bit. "Well howdy there! I haven't seen you in _ages_ Towa! I thought you were gone?"

Towa smiled at Olden and shook her head. "I was. After Zack chose Toki over me, I was pretty much erased from existence. I was lost in Moebius' realm. But Naruto here," she said, motioning towards her lover, "saved me. I've spent the last 4 years with him and my new sisters."

"Well I'm glad to hear it. I'm sure the others will be happy to see you too. Now, what brings you all here to my humble abode? You must be here for some reason, and I have a mighty good idea of what you could be looking for. However, just to be sure, you're here for Something Old, aren't you?"

Naruto nodded. "Yes. You see, there's a beast…"

Olden waved a few of his tentacles and smiled at the young man. "Yes, I can sense the creature inside of you. It's a dark being, far too powerful for anyone to control. Why it was sealed inside of you instead of simply being destroyed though is beyond me. I assume you're after the Something Four because you want to do something about this beast, am I right?"

Towa nodded in confirmation. "Yes sir. We're hoping to enhance the seal that holds the Kyuubi back. Right now, it can take advantage of Naruto's negative emotions and seize control from him. We're hoping that the Something Four can help us seal the beast up even tighter so Naruto would be safe from the Kyuubi's influence."

Olden frowned at this and looked at Naruto's stomach. "I'd personally just get the Something Four to get rid of the beast completely. They have the power to utterly destroy the beast, if you so chose. But I get the feeling that you don't want to do something like that, am I right?"

Naruto's eyes widened at that. "The Something Four are _that_ powerful? I thought we'd be lucky just to seal the Kyuubi up tighter, but…"

Yamato frowned at this and shook his head. "As tempting as it may be to rid yourself of the Kyuubi once and for all, I'd have to recommend against it. Despite how you may feel about the Kyuubi, its power _can_ aid you considerably if you ever needed the boost in strength. However…"

Naruto sighed and shook his head. "I know its power can help me if I use it right, but I'd much rather just get rid of the Kyuubi. _Without_ dying of course. And if the Akatsuki were to ever capture me and extract the Kyuubi, that's _exactly_ what would happen to me. I'd much rather just use my own strength to defeat our enemies. So if I'm given the chance to get rid of the Kyuubi now and keep the Akatsuki from ever getting their hands on it, well...I'm all for it." the whiskered young man said.

Yamato sighed and nodded his head in understanding. "I'd still recommend against it, but it _is_ your choice in the end."

Olden frowned as he looked at the wood user. "Your people view him as a weapon, don't they? Is that why you're 'recommending' against this? It's his chance to be free of a terrible burden that should _never_ have been placed upon his shoulders. Why deny him of that unless you view this fella as a weapon?"

As his team turned and glared at him, Yamato sweated nervously. "Is that _really_ what you think of him, Yamato-sensei?" Sakura asked as she looked at him disappointedly.

Yamato shook his head. "Of course not. Personally, I view Naruto as a fine, upstanding person. But the fact remains that Naruto, as our jinchuriki, is our deterrent for war with the other villages. If the people find out that he's gotten rid of the Kyuubi, there's no telling _what_ may happen. There are people in the village that only view Naruto as a weapon meant to be used. I'm just worried about what may happen to Naruto if it's discovered he's no longer a jinchuriki…"

Naruto frowned at his captain and shook his head in disgust. "Those people can go screw themselves for all I care. If there's a chance I can get rid of the Kyuubi, then I'm taking it. If the Something Four can't do that for some reason, however, I'll settle for simply sealing it up tighter."

Yamato sighed and nodded his head in understanding. "I understand Naruto. Do what you feel you must. I won't try to stop you."

"Glad to hear it. However, I'm not just going to _give_ you Something Old. I want to test what kind of person you are Naruto. So, I'll ask you the same questions I asked Zack when he was here. You should remember that Towa." Olden said.

Towa sighed and nodded her head. "Of course I do. But are you really going to make us go through that again? Can't you just loan us Something Old for a while?"

Olden shook his head. "Nope. If you want it, you have to _earn_ it. So, I'll see you at the end of the path. Don't let me down Naruto Uzumaki." he said before vanishing from his spot.

"Great. I _hate_ tests." Naruto said. "Oh well, let's do this girls! Hopefully these questions aren't too difficult."

Towa sighed and shook her head. "Oh, you'll see soon enough Naruto. Trust me…"

* * *

 **A/N - And that's the chapter! As you can see, a LOT happened in this chapter. Zack's forever lost his man parts as punishment for what he did, but he's still alive. Toki has taken an interest in our blonde protagonist, and Child Towa has declared Naruto her new father! Fun stuff, right?**

 **Anyways, as you can see, this chapter took place entirely in the Time & Eternity world. I'm HOPING to finish up this arc in the next chapter, but no guarantees. Still though, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Can't think of much else to say than that. lol**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N - Okay, first thing's first: I'd like to offer an apology to those of you who read this chapter. I know I said I would try and get through the rest of the Time & Eternity arc in this chapter...but unfortunately, this chapter was becoming too long, once again, and I had to cut it off where I did. So the entirety of this chapter, once again, takes place in the world of Time & Eternity.**

 **With that out of the way, I'd like to say something else. I've been getting tons of flames and shit for a few of my stories, especially A Beautiful Curse and To Love Naruto. I've even been told by people to go die and various threats and shit like that. Normally I can deal with that kind of crap, but after getting so much of it...it can wear on a person's psyche. I was highly tempted to just quit writing completely, it got _that_ bad. I've said it before and I'll say it again: if you aren't enjoying a story, then just drop it and go read something else. NOBODY is forcing you to read a story you don't like. And no story is so bad that you have to tell the author of that story to go and jump off a fucking cliff or something! It's as simple as hitting the back button if you don't like a story. Find something else to read.**

 **Anyways, now that I've got all of that out of the way...I truly hope you enjoy this chapter and are looking forward to what comes next. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 10 - The Something Four**

Naruto frowned in thought as they approached the first sign. "I wonder what kinds of questions he'll ask of me. What if I don't give the kinds of answers he's hoping for?"

Towa sighed as she stopped walking, causing the others to pause as well. "When I first came through here with Zack and Toki, I didn't quite understand some of the questions. But after having all this time to think back on them...well, let's just say Olden's a massive pervert that would love to have some of Master Jiraiya's novels to read. However...I don't want you to answer the way you _think_ he wants you to. Just be perfectly honest in your answers and I'm sure it will all work out. Okay honey?"

The whiskered teen nodded slowly in acceptance of that. "Alright. Olden seems like a good person, regardless of that little quirk. I just hope I don't let you girls down."

As they approached the first sign, they could hear Olden's voice speaking to them. "Alright folks, I'm going to do things a bit differently than what you remember, Towa. Rather than giving you a choice A and a choice B for each of mah questions, I'm going to simply ask you the question and I want you to answer it as truthfully as you can. And don't go tryin' to hide anything from me either, 'cause I'll know. Now, are you ready for question number one, Naruto Uzumaki?"

Naruto nodded once in acceptance of this. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be, Olden-san."

"Good. Now, here's your question: "Your bride-to-be has fallen unconscious before your very eyes. What do you do?" Remember Naruto, take your time and answer honestly."

"Hmm…" Naruto thought over the question, trying to figure out exactly what he would do in such a situation. _Depending on the reason why she fell unconscious, I might do any number of things. But the question is rather vague and leaves a lot to interpretation. So, if she just suddenly fell unconscious for an unknown reason...what would I do?_ He pondered.

After a couple of minutes, Naruto looked hard at the sign and shook his head. "To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure what I'd do. Depending on why she suddenly fell unconscious, I could do any number of different things. But, for argument's sake, let's say she just suddenly fell unconscious and the reason why is an unknown variable. If I suddenly saw one of my brides-to-be fall unconscious without knowing the cause...the first thing I'd do is check for a pulse. Afterwards, I'd attempt CPR and give her mouth-to-mouth in an attempt to resuscitate her. And if that didn't work, I'd rush her to the hospital where the doctors and medic-nin could, _hopefully_ help her."

Olden could be heard humming to himself as he took in Naruto's response and thought it over. After a while, Olden piped up again. "You pass the first question. I like your answer, Naruto Uzumaki. Though I think posing a hypothetical question to ya is important for me to get to know you a little better."

"Alright, shoot. What's this hypothetical you've got for me?" Naruto questioned curiously.

"Should an enemy be responsible for your gal falling unconscious, by means of an attack of some kind, whether it be that genjutsu stuff or poison, what would you do?"

The blue-eyed teen's eyes narrowed and he clenched his fists at his side tightly. "If an enemy was responsible for my fiance being rendered unconscious, the first thing I'd do is send a Shadow Clone to distract them while I check on my bride-to-be. If it was a genjutsu, I'd break it and ensure that she was alright after being subjected to it. If it was poison…" Naruto looked at Sakura for a moment before looking at Rikku. "Depending on the situation and whomever it might be, I'd get Sakura-chan or Rikku-chan to deal with it. If they weren't available for whatever reason, or if they were the ones poisoned...I'd do everything in my power to cure them using every possible way available to me. If...if it was worse than that…? I...I don't know Olden. They mean the world to me and if I were to lose them...it would hurt worse than anything done to me ever could."

"I see. So you have the desire to protect those closest to you, and your heart burns for them hotter than the flames used to heat a cattle prod. Hoo-whee, that's quite the answer boy! I could feel your passion burning from here! Congratulations! You've successfully passed the first question. Now get yer butts on over to the second one pronto! I'm eager to learn more about ya, Naruto Uzumaki."

"Thanks, Olden." Naruto said before he began following Towa to the next sign with everyone else in his party. Naturally, they were forced to fight a variety of different monsters along the way, but soon enough they came upon the second signpost, where Olden's voice greeted them once again.

"Question #2: When it comes to your relationship with your lovely young brides-to-be, what's the question you find yourself asking the most?"

Naruto once more paused and began to stroke his chin in thought. _It could be a question I ask myself a lot, but it could also be a question I ask them, I suppose. But no...it has to be something I ask myself. So what's the question I tend to ask myself the most when I'm with my girls?_

After a moment, his eyes widened in realization as he looked around at each of his girls. Quietly, he said, "Am I worthy to be with them?"

Before any of his girlfriends/fiances could say anything, Olden's voice sounded once more, "That tends to be the question when a pure-hearted person such as yourself ends up with someone they feel they aren't worthy of. Well, to that question of yours, I saw 'Pshah!' If you weren't worthy of their love, then gosh darn it, I don't know who else would be! They picked you, after all! So buck up and act more confident in yourself Naruto! You are, indeed, worthy of their love. You pass the second question. Get goin' down to the third one. I'll be waitin'!"

Naruto made to walk off towards the next sign, but a hand on his arm caused him to freeze. He flinched at the contact and turned around to see each of his girlfriends looking at him with concern. "Naruto-kun, you really think that way?" Sakura questioned sadly. "We love you. It's just as Olden-san said. No other man will ever be worthy of us."

"I...I know that. And I understand what you're saying. But…" Naruto began to say, before Towa interrupted him with a kiss.

"No but's, Naruto. We won't hear any complaints or any of your needless worrying. You're stuck with us, so you'd better get used to it." she said before she began to lead the way to the next sign.

"Thank you...all of you." Naruto said before he began to follow them. _I'm so lucky to have you girls._

Upon reaching the third sign, Towa groaned and brought a hand to her face, shaking her head from side-to-side slowly. "I remember the third question. Prepare yourself, Naruto."

Nodding slowly, Naruto stepped up to the sign and listened as Olden began to speak. "Question #3: If your lover were to say: "Would you like a bath first? Or _me_ first?", what would your response be?"

Naruto blushed terribly at this and looked around at his girls. _Oh Kami, what the hell am I supposed to say?!_

Yamato couldn't help but smirk in amusement at the predicament his student was currently in. Just by looking at the other women in the group, he could tell that this question irritated some of them. Some of them actually didn't seem to care, while a couple of them were clearly imagining that kind of scenario playing out in their heads. _Looks like Olden's not the only pervert here._ He thought with a chuckle.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto closed his eyes and answered. "If...if one of my brides-to-be said something like that? Heh, I have to admit I'd be pretty shocked, but also pretty happy. I...well...if it came down to those two choices? I'd pick my fiance before a bath, though we could, erm...enjoy some time in the bath together. The best of both worlds, essentially."

Olden could be heard chuckling loudly. "I like you boy! What a terrific answer! Question #3 is a pass. Hurry on over to the fourth one."

Naruto looked at his fiances and chuckled nervously. "S-sorry if my answer bugs any of you. I'm just being honest."

Towa smirked at him. "So, the best of both worlds, huh? At least now we know one of your fantasies." she teased.

The whiskered blonde blushed worse and glanced away. "Sh-shut up. I'm allowed to have fantasies that involve you girls. It's only natural! I mean, you're all so beautiful and wonderful and...and...I love you all very much. My mind can't help but wander sometimes."

Meru grinned and gave her boyfriend/fiance a kiss on the lips that took his breath away. Afterwards, she leaned in and whispered, "Well, I'll let you in on a little... _secret_. We think about you in that way too sometimes. As you said, it's only natural."

Naruto blushed deeply, but before he could say anything in response, the girls began walking off towards the site of the next question. _Is...is that true?_ He wondered to himself as he followed after them.

As they walked, they started to become a tad annoyed with all the monsters that kept attacking them. They didn't pose a serious threat, but they were so numerous that they began to wonder if this was how it always was in Olden's Garden. When asked, Towa explained that each of the four Gardens were inhabited by monsters and it was just something they'd have to get used to in her world, as monsters were practically everywhere.

Upon reaching the site of the fourth question, they waited for Olden to speak. "Question #4: "Where would you go on your first honeymoon?"" he questioned.

"First honeymoon, huh? That's...a damn good question. Since...since I plan to marry Rikku-chan first, no offense intended to the rest of you, I think I'd very much like to take her to her world and have a relaxing vacation of sorts. Watch some Blitzball games, enjoy the cozy life on Besaid Island, even visit the Zanarkand Ruins and the Baaj Temple, the place where Rikku-chan was taken from Spira. Essentially, I'd do everything I could to make our honeymoon something special in her home world." Naruto admitted honestly.

"Ah, to be young and in love. That's a great answer! You've passed the fourth question. Mosey on over to the fifth and final question. I'll be waiting!" Olden exclaimed joyfully.

Rikku smiled happily at her fiance and hugged him tight. "You're so sweet Naru! Thank you. Oooh, I can't wait to show you around Spira and introduce you to everybody! It'll be a blast!"

Naruto smiled and hugged her back. "Anything for you sweetheart. Now c'mon, let's go and see what the last question is. Have to admit, I'm a bit nervous." he said with a chuckle.

Upon reaching the last sign, they listened as Olden began to speak again. "Speaking honestly, which of those lovely ladies you're with do you like best, hm?"

It didn't take Naruto long at all to come up with an answer to this particular question. "I can't choose between them like that. They each hold a special place in my heart. Each of them is lovely and unique in their own ways, and I'm happy with each of them."

Olden chuckled a bit. "I'm glad to hear that. If you were able to pick just one of those ladies as your favorite, then this situation you're in with them just wouldn't work. You're in a delicate situation with these ladies, Naruto Uzumaki. Continue to treat them with respect and cherish them for the rest of your life, and I'm sure you'll be happy together. Now c'mon and see me at the end of the path. I've got your prize for ya."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at his girlfriends. "I'm glad that's over with. Let's go see Olden and get Something Old. I just hope the other three items that make up the Something Four aren't too difficult to get. This test was stressful enough."

Towa couldn't help but smirk as she looked at her boyfriend. "Just wait. The worst part's yet to come." she said mysteriously before she began leading the group to where Olden was waiting for them.

As they walked, battling monsters as they appeared, the group couldn't help but wonder what Towa meant. After all, what could be so bad that she wasn't telling them?

When they reached Olden a short while later, he floated around Naruto a couple of times before settling in front of him. "Well darn tootin', you sure passed this test with flyin' colors, Naruto! I knew I saw somethin' special in ya. Now, as promised, I'll just push out Something Old for ya and you can be on your way to iNew's Garden to get Something New. Now...just hold on a second and, erm...you might wanna close yer eyes fer this one."

Naruto raised his brow in curiosity before he complied, shutting his eyes as the others did the same. The next thing they heard was, "Hnnnn! Hnnnnggghhhhhh!" It sounded like Olden was trying to poop something out, he was grunting that loudly.

When they finally heard a plop sound, they opened their eyes and saw Olden holding out Something Old for them to take. "Phewie! That never gets any easier, let me tell ya! Anyways, here ya go Naruto, Something Old. Careful now, it's still warm."

Looking over the object being held aloft by Olden's tentacles, they could see it was shining brilliantly and looked to be in pristine condition. They weren't quite sure how to describe what they were seeing, but they each admitted that, despite the method Olden used to 'push it out', it looked perfectly clean and ready for use. So, somewhat hesitantly, Naruto reached out and took Something Old into his hands.

True enough, just as Olden said, the object was warm to the touch. Holding it in his hands, Naruto could sense the power held within this tiny object and couldn't help but smile as he thought about what the full power of the entire set was like. _If they're all like this...maybe getting rid of the Kyuubi isn't such a farfetched thing to imagine, after all. I...could finally be rid of this burden._

"Thank you Olden. Truly." Naruto said as he looked into Olden's eyes. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Don't mention it Naruto. Just be sure to collect the other pieces and make a wish for whatever your heart desires. Whatever you decide to do, I truly believe that you'll make the right choice. Now git, boy! You can't waste anymore time here."

Naruto simply smiled at the old sage before turning to make his way out of the Garden. Yamato, however, lagged behind for a bit. He and Olden just stared into one another's eyes for a time before the leader of Team Yamato spoke up. "I still don't think he should erase the Kyuubi from existence, but...it's a burden that was unfairly placed upon him just hours after his birth. And...considering he has the Akatsuki after his life, perhaps erasing the Kyuubi from existence might be for the best, as it would likely save his life should they ever capture him. Olden-san, you said you trust Naruto to do what's right. I'd like to believe in him as well, but…"

Olden nodded his head in understanding. "You're concerned that, because he's a young'un, he can't really see the big picture. True, the Kyuubi houses great power and, if they learned to work together, Naruto could become something truly great. What you fail to realize, however, is that Naruto Uzumaki is powerful enough without that beastie, and he's only going to continue getting stronger. Try to have a little more faith in the boy, Yamato. If he chooses to get rid of the Kyuubi, then you need to believe that he made the right decision. He's your teammate and a trusted comrade, isn't he?"

The brunette frowned in thought for a moment before nodding his head slowly. "You're right. I think what it really comes down to is that I'm afraid of what the council will think once they realize the Kyuubi is gone. A lot of them view Naruto as a weapon, rather than as a person. Still others think of him as the Kyuubi itself, despite Naruto proving time and again that he and the Kyuubi are two separate beings. However, once they realize the Kyuubi is gone, they'll treat Naruto as if his value to the village has decreased drastically. They can make his life even more of a hell than it already is…"

Once again, the sage nodded slowly in understanding. "Makes sense. If they push him too far, he may retaliate. Or...he may simply leave for greener pastures. Who can really say how he'll react once people start to show their true colors?" Olden made a motion as if he was shrugging. "When it comes time to choose a side: your village or Naruto, I wonder what you'll choose." And with that, Olden vanished, leaving Yamato standing there alone, lost in his thoughts.

 _ **iNew's Garden**_

After leaving Olden's Garden, the party ventured quickly to the new Garden on the list: iNew's Garden. Upon arriving, they immediately set out through the Garden towards where Towa remembered iNew residing. Once they reached him, the majority of the group quirked their brows in surprise. iNew looked exactly like Olden! Then again, they supposed they shouldn't really be surprised by such a revelation. They weren't exactly 'human', after all.

"Ah, welcome to my home! I bet you're looking to get your hands on Something New, am I right? Mmm, I can imagine why as well. Just looking at you, I can sense something totally dark inside of you." he said, looking straight at Naruto's belly. "You want to get rid of that nasty thing, am I right?"

Naruto shook his head. "I don't know for sure just yet. After...after I collect the Something Four, I want to try talking to the Kyuubi one more time. If...if the conversation doesn't go like I hope...then yes, I'll probably use the Something Four to erase the Kyuubi from existence. It would throw a serious wrench in the Akatsuki's plans and keep them from achieving their goals. On top of that, I'd be freeing myself from the burden that was placed on me by my parents, namely my father. So...chances are that I'll probably be erasing the Kyuubi from existence...though I wish I didn't have to. It's a living being as well, but it…" Naruto sighed, unable to finish his sentence as his thoughts were a jumbled mess.

iNew nodded slowly. "Well that makes sense. I'm sure that whatever you decide to do, it will be for the best. Buuut, before I can give you Something New, you're gonna have to prove yourself to me. First though, I never got your name."

"Oh, it's Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki. Nice to meet you iNew."

"Cool. Now, here's what you're gonna have to do. Towa should remember this quite well." he said, looking at the blonde princess for just a moment. "You're gonna have to fight me. And before you get any ideas about coming at me with your team, that's not gonna cut it. I want you to fight me one-on-one, fair and square. It's _you_ I'm testing after all. _Not_ them. I warn you now, I won't be taking it easy on you. So, come at me with everything you've got, Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto nodded his head in understanding before looking at the others. Giving them a smile, he watched as they stepped away, giving iNew and himself enough room for their fight. Looking back at iNew, the whiskered teen nodded again. "I'm ready. I swear I'll prove myself to you, iNew."

"Glad to hear it! Now...let's rock!" iNew exclaimed before suddenly appearing right in front of Naruto, his tentacles flailing as he struck out at Naruto.

"Shit!" Naruto exclaimed as he narrowly avoided the attack. _Crap, he's fast! I barely had time to dodge!_

"Surprised?" iNew asked, sounding very amused. "I told you, Naruto Uzumaki, that I'd be taking this seriously. Now...prepare yourself!"

Naruto watched as iNew sent a large fireball speeding his way. Quickly avoiding it, he kept his eyes on his opponent. _Okay, of course he has magic too. He's not going to be an easy opponent, that's for sure._

In the blink of an eye, iNew was upon him again, a couple of his tentacles lashing out and striking Naruto in the stomach painfully. _Holy crap that hurt! Then again, he's a sage. What the hell was I expecting?_

When iNew went to attack him again, Naruto dodged and struck the bizarre person in what was typically the chest on a normal person. iNew floated back a bit and smiled at Naruto. "You've got some strength behind those punches of yours. Good. Now, let's kick things up a notch, shall we?"

Once more iNew disappeared in a burst of speed, appearing behind Naruto. Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto could see iNew spin around like a whirlpool, aiming at his back. The blonde quickly dodged before focusing as hard as he could on his magic. After a brief moment, he narrowed his eyes and cast his spell to slow time around him. He hoped that this would slow iNew down enough that he could launch a counterattack of some kind, but…

Naruto's eyes widened as iNew moved at a normal speed, striking him in the stomach with his tentacles again. Grunting in pain, Naruto stumbled back a couple of steps and narrowed his eyes at iNew. _Okay...so time magic isn't going to do me any good in this fight. At least, not my Slow spell. My other time spells might help me a bit though…_

iNew smirked at his opponent. "Nice try Naruto, but trying to slow me down isn't going to do you any good. Go ahead and try something else though, if you think it'll work."

The blue-eyed blonde took a calming breath and decided to try something a bit different. Focusing on the Lady Luck dressphere, he underwent a spherechange, a bright light emanating from his core. When the light died down, iNew got a good look at the new outfit his opponent had donned.

Instead of the orange and black getup he was in before, Naruto was now garbed in a pretty snazzy black suit. While the majority of the suit was black and gray, it came with a neon orange bow tie around the collar. On his feet were a comfortable pair of dress shoes and he had a gold bracelet around his left wrist. Dangling from his ears were a pair of earrings in the shape of a kunai and a shuriken, both were emerald green in color. Finally, his usually spiky hair was now combed back and smoothed out. Naturally, as this was the Lady Luck dressphere, his weapon of choice was a deck of razor sharp playing cards.

"Let's have some fun iNew." Naruto said as he activated his Four Dice ability, tossing four large dice into the air. When they hit the ground and stopped rolling, the total came out to be 18. Grinning at this, Naruto fanned his deck of playing cards out and said, "Oh, so sorry iNew, but looks like luck's just not on your side today."

Before iNew could ask about the significance of the dice, he was suddenly struck repeatedly by an invisible force 18 separate times. Each hit seemed to hurt more than the last and it left iNew feeling a bit winded once it was all over. As he went to move, he groaned in pain and rubbed at his body with a few of his tentacles. "Okay...I'll bite. What kind of super cool move was that?!"

Bowing slightly to the great spirit, Naruto offered him a small smirk. "That would be an attack called Four Dice. The number that appears is how many times you get hit. It felt something like a sledgehammer hitting you over and over again, didn't it? Don't worry, the pain will pass. But first, let's see what the Magic Reels end up revealing about your future, shall we?"

iNew began to sweat nervously and lunged to attack Naruto, but he simply dodged out of the way and raised his hand. What appeared to be the reels of a slot machine appeared and began to spin in place. Naruto, continuing to avoid iNew's attacks, pressed the buttons beneath each reel and smirked at what they revealed. "Awww, sucks to be you iNew. Looks like a little bit of... _lightning_ is in your future."

Once more, iNew went on the attack, successfully striking Naruto in the back of his left knee, forcing him onto the ground. However, Naruto quickly performed a backflip to get away from his opponent and raised his hand. " **Thundara!** "

iNew winced in anticipation of the attack, as he knew he wasn't in a good position to dodge. When the lightning bolt struck him, he screamed out in agony for a while before slowly collapsing to the ground beneath him. "Okay. Okay! That's enough for now! I think it's safe to say you've got some scary luck, kid. That's fine though. Sometimes a little luck is just what you need, whether it be to survive a tough encounter or win big in a casino or somethin' like that." Realizing he was about to go off on a tangent, iNew shook his head before offering the whiskered teen a smile. "Point I'm trying to make is that you passed my test. Good job! Now, let me just push out Something New for ya and you can be on your way to Burrough's Garden. Oh, and you might want to close your eyes for this, it's not a pretty sight."

Once again, the group closed their eyes and listened to the grunting that accompanied 'pushing the object out'. "Hnnn! Hnngghhh! Hnnnngggggggggggghhhh!" Just listening to the sound effects taking place had their skin crawling, but they couldn't deny that, as disgusting as it sounded, the power each of these objects held was astounding, even if they only had Something Old at the moment.

"Okay...phew! You can open your eyes now." iNew said, watching as they each opened their eyes. Bringing a few of his tentacles up, he revealed to the group Something New. "I present you with Something New. Congratulations! Go on, take it! Oh! But be careful, it's warm."

Naruto slowly reached out and grabbed the mysterious object, cradling it in his hands once it was in his possession. True enough, it was warm to the touch. Naruto couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of the powerful object, once more wondering how these things could look like this if...well, he figured it was best not to think about it.

Pocketing Something New, Naruto bowed to iNew and offered him a smile. "Thank you iNew! I really appreciate this. I swear, I'll figure out what to do before the time comes for me to use the Something Four. I promise that whatever choice I make, it will be the right one. I refuse to believe otherwise."

iNew smiled at Naruto and nodded his head. "Of course, Naruto. Now off with you. Go see my sister, Burrough, and talk to her about borrowing Something Borrowed. Good luck with whatever test she puts forth, however. It's not going to be a simple task, getting ahold of that object."

Naruto and his party nodded their heads in understanding before they turned and began to make their way out of iNew's Garden. Once again, however, Yamato lagged behind, turning to look into iNew's eyes. "iNew-san? The Something Four...do they really have the power to erase the Kyuubi from existence?"

iNew just stared at Yamato for a time, thinking over how best to answer the man's question. After a while, he finally said, "Of course they do. Let me guess, you've thought of something. You already figured the Something Four would hold that kind of power, so what is it you're _really_ trying to ask me, Yamato?"

The black-eyed man brought a hand to his chin and rubbed it as he thought over how best to phrase his question. His thoughts were going a mile a minute and he was trying to make sure he had everything straight in his mind before he spoke. After a brief period of silence, Yamato looked into iNew's eyes and voiced his thoughts. "Back in the Elemental Nations, there's a group of incredibly powerful criminals known as the Akatsuki. Their goal is to capture the jinchuriki, which Naruto happens to be, and extract their bijuu for some unknown purpose. The process of doing this would kill the jinchuriki. Now, you and Olden have already assured me that the Something Four can erase the Kyuubi from existence, but my question is this: is the Something Four powerful enough to erase all of the bijuu from existence at the same time? I mean _completely_ erase them too. I'm asking this because the jinchuriki don't deserve to die, just because of a burden that was placed on them when most of them didn't even ask for it. Right now, they're essentially cursed, and if the Something Four can somehow give them some divine protection of some kind…"

iNew stroked what was _essentially_ his chin with one of his tentacles. "Hmmm, that's a good question. Unfortunately...I don't think the Something Four have that kind of power. Besides that, in order to attempt such a thing, you'd have to take the Something Four back with you into the Elemental Nations. And I'm afraid that, as much as my friends and I would love to help you, we cannot permit you to leave our world with the Something Four. However, I can promise you this: if Naruto uses the Something Four to erase the Kyuubi, it will remove _all_ traces of the Kyuubi from existence, even those left behind in your world. The Kyuubi would truly be no more. That's the most that I can promise you, I'm afraid. I'm sorry I don't have better news for you."

Yamato nodded in understanding. "That's alright, iNew-san. It was a feeble hope, and I knew better than to get my hopes up. Even if it's just the Kyuubi, that will throw a wrench in the Akatsuki's plans and _hopefully_ keep Naruto safe. So thank you. Take care of yourself, iNew-san."

"You as well. Make sure to look after Naruto for us! He's a good kid." iNew said with a smile as he waved goodbye with one of his tentacles.

 _ **Burrough's Garden**_

Thankfully, this Garden was smaller than the others and it didn't take them long to reach Burrough. They weren't surprised to see that she looked just like Olden and iNew. "Well hello there. I have to admit, I wasn't expecting guests today. What brings you all here to see little old me?" she questioned with a bright smile on her face.

Towa smiled at Burrough and said, "We're here to ask if we can borrow Something Borrowed. Do you think you could loan it to us for a short time?"

Burrough looked at Towa curiously for a moment before her eyes lit up in recognition. "Towa! My word, it's been far too long since we last saw each other. I thought you were gone!"

"I was. Zack chose Toki over me and I was pretty much erased from this world. But...Naruto here, he gave me a new chance at life and I couldn't be happier with him. He's the one that made it possible for me to return to this world."

Nodding her head in understanding, Burrough looked Naruto over for a moment before smiling brightly once again. "My, such a dashing young man. You're quite lucky indeed, Towa! Now, you said you wanted Something Borrowed, correct? You never did tell me why."

Naruto looked down at his stomach for a moment before looking straight into the great spirit's eyes. "I was told that the Something Four have the power to get rid of a powerful entity that's inside of me. It's a burden that was placed on me shortly after my birth, and it has caused me no end of grief. When I use its power, I run the risk of losing control of myself and my actions and could very well hurt those dear to me. So if you can help, I'd truly appreciate it Ma'am."

"I see. Now that you mention it, I do sense a great darkness inside of you. Poor thing. You've been scorned by those you've been sworn to protect, haven't you?" When she saw Naruto flinch, Burrough nodded her head sadly. "I figured as much. Anyways, I'd very much _like_ to loan you Something Borrowed, but I'm afraid somebody already borrowed it from me and has yet to return it."

Towa sighed and nodded her head in understanding. "I figured as much. Who borrowed it this time, Burrough? Hopefully it's someone that will listen to our plea and allow us to return it to you."

Burrough hummed in thought for a moment before saying, "It was this nice old lady. I believe her name was Anna. Does that sound familiar to any of you?"

The amber-eyed princess' eyes widened in shock. "My _grandmother_?! I wonder why she'd want Something Borrowed? I promise we'll return with Something Borrowed soon, Burrough. Naruto, everyone, let's go! My grandma must have a reason for this."

Naruto and the girls nodded, while Yamato looked as if he was thinking hard about something. Noticing this, Rikku asked, "Captain Yamato? What's up?"

Noticing that everyone's attention was now on him, Yamato offered them a reassuring smile. "It's nothing important. I'm just wondering...do you think your grandmother knew we were coming and borrowed Something Borrowed so we'd come and talk with her? I'm wondering what she wants exactly. After all, it's as you said, she _must_ have a reason for why she has it."

Towa frowned as she thought it over. "It's certainly possible. Grandma's always been incredibly wise and knows far more about things than she lets on. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she foresaw our visit and prepared this just so she could speak with us. Or, more specifically...Naruto."

Yamato nodded slowly. "I can't help but wonder what she wants with Naruto. Don't get me wrong, I trust her intentions are pure and I know she's a good person, but when it comes to Naruto and his burden, I can't help but worry."

The amber-eyed princess nodded in understanding. "I'm not offended, don't worry. Let's just go see what she wants. I'm sure she means no ill will towards Naruto. She probably just wants to speak with him about something." And with that, the group departed Burrough's Garden to return to Kamza.

 _ **Kamza - Castle**_

When they arrived at the castle, the party were directed to go to Toki's room, where Anna was apparently waiting for them with Toki and her child. Upon arriving at Toki's bedchambers, Naruto knocked on the door. "Um, Anna-san? We're here to see you."

"Please come in. We have some things to discuss, you and I." Anna replied. Shortly afterwards, the door opened and Team Yamato entered the room and took positions throughout the room, each getting comfortable in their own way. Looking straight at Naruto, Anna smirked as she held up Something Borrowed. "You came for this, correct? Well, before I hand it over, I'd like to chat for a bit, Naruto."

"As you wish Anna-san. What do you want to discuss with me?" he questioned curiously.

Smiling kindly at him, Anna pointed at his gut. "I'll be blunt, Naruto. I want you to delve into your mindscape and speak with the beast sealed inside of you. I want you to try and make peace with it. If the Kyuubi refuses and decides to be a pain, then I think you'll have reached your decision about what to do with the Something Four. However, should the beast be willing to cooperate with you and work with you on some level...I want you to consider its feelings and come to a decision about what would be the best thing to do. So, will you try to make peace with the Kyuubi?"

Naruto frowned at this and looked down at his stomach again. "I...see. I suppose this is a long time coming, then. Alright, Anna-san. I'll try to speak with the Kyuubi. But...I really don't know how this conversation is going to go."

As Naruto sat himself down and began to meditate, delving into his mindscape, Yamato stepped a bit closer and prepared to act if necessary. Looking at him, Anna smirked. "Try to have more faith in your student, Mr. Yamato. Everything will be fine, and he'll soon have his answer. I just hope you can accept his decision, whatever it may be."

Yamato nodded slowly as he looked down at his teammate. "I trust that he'll be fine. It's the Kyuubi I'm worried about. My talents are important in keeping the beast restrained, should it try anything. That's part of why I was assigned to this team in the first place."

"I understand that. A simple precautionary measure put in place to ensure the safety of Naruto and his family. However, I don't think that role will be needed anymore after he obtains the Something Four and makes his wish. I just wish the Kyuubi was a more cooperative, peaceful creature."

"It sounds as if you already know what's going to happen. I'm assuming, based on what you've just said, that the Kyuubi isn't going to cooperate with Naruto?" Yamato questioned.

Anna nodded sadly. "The Kyuubi is a prideful beast and would sooner curse Naruto's existence rather than work with the poor boy."

"If that's the case, why'd you want him to speak with the Kyuubi in the first place?" Rikku questioned. "It's not safe to confront that thing!"

The elderly time mage looked at Rikku and shook her head. "It was necessary for him to meet with the Kyuubi. Naruto was unsure about what to do when he got the Something Four. He needed to overcome his indecision and make a choice about what he was going to do. This will help him in the long run."

The girls didn't look too happy about this revelation, but they nodded in understanding regardless. Almost as one, they looked towards Naruto and waited to see what would happen.

 _ **Naruto's Mindscape**_

Naruto found himself frowning deeply as he looked through the large bars, straight into the Kyuubi's eyes. He was unsurprised when the Kyuubi thrust a claw between the bars, stopping just short of skewering the blonde. He stood there, unflinching, simply staring into the beast's red eyes. "Hello Kyuubi. It's been a while since we saw each other."

" **Not long enough, if you ask me. Why are you even here?** " the Kyuubi questioned grumpily.

"You should already know the answer to that, Kyuubi. You are a sentient being with your own feelings and thoughts. Unlike some people I've met, you're an intelligent creature. I'm sure you're already well aware that I've come across a means of removing you from the picture. I wanted to see if we could, perhaps, bury the hatchet, so to speak. You may be a grumpy ball of fur and hate, but I wanted to give you a chance. So...will you work with me and come to some kind of compromise with me, or…?"

The Kyuubi raised a brow and chuckled darkly. " **Work? With you? That must be some kind of joke. You aren't worthy of my time, let alone my power. You've used my power as a crutch,** _ **without**_ **my permission, and now you expect me to just throw your transgressions against me to the side and cooperate with you?** "

Naruto sighed and shook his head. "I know I've wronged you in the past, Kyuubi. For that, I apologize. But...if you don't cooperate with me now, then I'll use the power of the Something Four to erase you from existence. That's a last resort move that I _don't_ want to make...but…"

" **Like you** _ **really**_ **care about me. Face it, you're dealing with a guilty conscience and don't want my death to haunt you. Even now you're only thinking about yourself. Screw what I want, right?** "

Scowling at this point, Naruto pointed a finger at the fox's face. "Damn it Kyuubi! Of course I'm thinking about you! And about the other jinchuriki and the other bijuu. I'm also thinking about the threat that the Akatsuki poses to those like me. Part of me knows that if you're gone for good...then they can't win. After all, they want all of you for some unknown plan. We can be sure that it's nothing good, though. But even still, at risk to my own well being...I'm willing to give you a chance, Kyuubi. That has to count for something!"

The Kyuubi scoffed at this. " **Too little, too late fleshling. You're no better than my previous containers. Granted, I'm allowed a bit more freedom compared to my previous prisons, but that's of little importance right now. As for what that Akatsuki group wants with us? Heh, I have an idea of their ultimate goal, or at least what that fake 'Madara' might be after, but why should I tell you? No, it's best to let you find out for yourself what they're up to. I can say this for a fact though: I want NOTHING to do with you. I won't help you. So if you're going to erase me, feel free. At least I'd finally have some freedom in death.** "

Naruto let out a heavy sigh as he closed his eyes and shook his head in disappointment. "That's a real shame, Kyuubi. I had hoped we could become partners of a sort. Friends, maybe. But…" Steeling himself, Naruto looked into the Kyuubi's eyes with a grim expression on his face. "If it means the Akatsuki won't get their hands on you...possibly subjecting you to something worse...then I'll go through with the plan to erase you from existence. You deserve your peace, at least. Though...I'm not entirely sure if the afterlife is what you'd be expecting. Still...at least you'd be free." And with that, Naruto left his mindscape, quite possibly for the last time.

 _ **Hmph. Stupid fleshling. Friends? With him? What a ridiculous notion.**_ The Kyuubi thought to itself before laying down inside of its cage. _**Goodbye, Naruto Uzumaki.**_

 _ **Toki's Room**_

Naruto opened his eyes and sighed sadly. Looking around at everyone, he shook his head a couple of times. "He's...not going to cooperate. I told him I wanted to try and understand each other...to be friends. The Kyuubi is far too stubborn though."

Towa smiled sadly at him. "Grandma told us as much while you were busy speaking with him. I'm sorry Naruto."

"It's fine. But this does make my decision easier. Even though the Kyuubi isn't the nicest thing around...he doesn't deserve to suffer at the hands of the Akatsuki. So, to keep the Kyuubi safe, and to give him some peace...I'm going to have the Something Four erase him from existence." Naruto said, finally coming to a decision on what he wanted to do.

Anna nodded her head in understanding. "I'm sorry I made you do this, Naruto. However, it was needed to help you come to a decision. I know it wasn't an easy decision to make, but I do believe this is for the best."

"Thank you Anna-san." Naruto said softly. "For everything."

Anna smiled sadly at Naruto. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry you've had such a burden placed upon you, Naruto. Despite everything you've been through, you've become a truly fine young man. I'm sure your parents would be quite proud of you."

Toki decided to add her two cents as well. "On top of that, you're exactly the kind of role model Towa needs. You helped us, and didn't even ask for anything in return for doing so. I'm glad to have met you."

Naruto had to wipe away the building tears before he spoke. "Thank you. That means a lot to me. Um…" Thinking on it for a bit, Naruto looked into Anna's eyes and asked, "Was there anything else you wanted from me, Anna-san? We came here hoping to get Something Borrowed from you, but…"

The elderly woman smiled and nodded her head in understanding. "Yes, there is something else I'd like to ask of you. There are people in your world that would seek to do harm to this one, as I'm sure you're already aware. So, when you return to your world, I want you to anchor the wormhole in a safe location, one where those that would do us harm cannot reach. Just as I would have you anchor the wormhole leading from here to your world in a safe location, away from monsters and the unsuspecting citizen. Can you do this for me?"

Naruto nodded slowly. "Of course. I'm still trying to get the hang of my magic, but I believe I can anchor the wormholes properly. But...where would I create the wormhole on this end? I already have a good idea of where to anchor the wormhole in my world, but here? I'm going to let you decide on the best place to do that."

Before anyone could say anything, they heard a voice speaking to them. "So, you're the one responsible for screwing with the fabric of space and time? I was wondering who was responsible for screwing around in my domain. Have to admit though, wasn't expecting you to be such a cutie."

Towa easily recognized the voice and scowled. "Moebius!"

True enough, Moebius appeared before the group, a smirk on her face. "Bingo! Long time, no see, Towa. And hello to you as well Toki. I'm sure you don't remember me, but I sure remember you. And that Zack fellow you used to be with, he was always entertaining. Too bad he screwed with your heart, huh?"

Towa scowled at the time goddess. "What the hell do you want, Moebius? If you're just here to screw with us, then please leave."

"Aww, and after all we've been through together? This is how you treat an old friend? That hurts!" Moebius questioned, a pout on her face. After a moment though, she smirked and began to laugh. "Ha! I suppose your hatred of me is justified. Though you have to admit, I _did_ save you from being with that jerk, Towa. Besides, look at you. You're clearly happier now than when you were stuck with me. You should be glad I sent you through that wormhole. You've got a hunky new man, and things are grand, right?!"

Toki frowned as she looked at the stranger curiously. "I...I'm afraid I don't recognize you. Should I know who you are?"

Towa sighed and shook her head. "Toki...this is Moebius. She's a time goddess and used to be sealed within that hourglass you wore around your neck. She's also a major pain in the butt."

"That's not a very nice thing for you to say about me, Towa. But it's true, I did cause you two no end of grief. Then again, you kind of brought it on yourselves, trying to get married to that asshole, Zack. I was really just trying to do you both a favor." Moebius said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Enough about that though…" turning to Naruto, Moebius walked up to him and grabbed his chin, turning his head left and then right as she got a good look at him. "Hmm, how is it you came to possess such phenomenal powers? It's not every day that somebody manages to access my realm in such a way."

Naruto looked into Moebius' eyes calmly and said, "I'm not entirely sure how I came to have this power, Moebius-san. Nobody else in my world has magic...at least not that I'm aware of, anyway. It's a mystery to me."

Nodding in understanding, Moebius released Naruto's chin and paced around for a moment. "Hmm...if I had to guess, I'd say it's something unique to that clan of yours, the Uzumakis. They were a rather special bunch, weren't they?" she asked with a grin. "You see, I've been watching you on and off since Towa arrived in your world. I'm still rather curious about those jinchuriki fellows. Whose bright idea was it to seal those bijuu things up in people? And even worse, the very people that make them into jinchuriki then treat them like monsters. It's enough to make _me_ look like a saint! It's sickening!"

Yamato sighed after hearing this. Closing his eyes, he folded his arms across his chest and said, "Shodaime-sama was the one to give away the bijuu like that. I admit...it may not have been the best decision, but he was still a good, respectable man. As for how the jinchuriki are treated...I have no words to speak about how regrettable their fate is. They didn't choose to have the bijuu sealed within them, but they're treated like social pariahs whose worth is less than dirt. It shames me to admit that most people either see them as the bijuu themselves...or as weapons to be used and then discarded when they're no longer of any use."

"That's true. It really does make Moebius seem better in comparison, but I wouldn't call her a saint." Towa said, a deep frown on her face. "But...I am curious. Why do you think his clan is the reason for his magic, Moebius?"

"Just a gut feeling." Moebius said with a dismissive shrug of her shoulders. "Now, Naruto...I have a small, teeny tiny favor to ask of you. Willing to hear me out?"

Naruto frowned in thought for a moment. He had heard about Moebius from Towa before, and he was naturally wary of this woman. Still… "Sure, I'll listen. What exactly do you need?"

Clapping her hands once in excitement, Moebius stepped up to Naruto again and placed her hand on his chest. "It's quite simple, really. I just want you to continue to entertain me. But more than that, I'm fascinated by you. I'd like to offer you my services as a teacher. I'll help you learn more about your space/time magic in exchange for one thing. I want you to continue visiting other worlds, not just those tied to your friends here. The more worlds you explore, the more you'll learn. But, more than that, think of all the entertainment you'll be providing me! Oh! And, since I'll be teaching you, that means you have to let me come with you! Sooo...deal?"

The whiskered teen thought carefully about what she was proposing. While Towa would be annoyed by Moebius' presence, no doubt, he couldn't deny that studying under the time goddess would be quite beneficial in the long run. Still, something about her proposal caused him some concern. "There's something else you're not telling me...isn't there?"

The silver-haired time goddess smirked at him devilishly. "My, you are a perceptive one, aren't you? I like that. Okay, there is one teensy tiny little thing I left unsaid. You see, I want an heir, a child. I'm typically a genderless being, but I happen to like this form quite a bit. So, in you, I'm seeking a husband and father of my child. Or, if time permits, child _ren_. Think about it, you'd be my equal in everything, an essential time _god_! Plus, you'd have bagged yourself one sexy as hell time goddess, don't ya think?"

As Naruto blushed, Towa scowled and pointed angrily at Moebius. "Oh hell no! I am _not_ sharing him with you! Find yourself somebody else to father your child!"

The red-eyed goddess turned to Towa and pouted at her. "Towa, that's mean! Think about all that I'm offering him before you make such a rash decision. All he has to do for me is continue doing what he's been doing and be my husband. That's not too much to ask for, is it? Besides, you already snagged his virginity for yourself, what more could you want?"

Towa blushed a deep red at this and could feel the piercing stares of the other girls without even looking at them. "T-that's...that's not important right now!"

Rikku pouted at Towa. "No fair! I wanted to be his first! I can't believe you beat me to it!"

Meru smirked at Towa. "So bold of you, snatching his first time like that. I didn't think you had it in you, Towa. You'll have to give us details later."

Moebius smirked at Towa. "Ahhh, you hadn't told them yet. Shame on you, Towa. Oh well. The point stands that I'm putting my foot down on this. Naruto needs my guidance, and I need a husband and heir. Besides, I haven't even done anything to you to warrant such a reaction."

"But...why does it have to be Naruto? It…" Towa sighed and hung her head. "It's not fair…"

"Towa, you should know perfectly well by now that life is hardly ever fair." Anna chastised her granddaughter. "You should know that this is a great opportunity for Naruto. All that Moebius is asking for is to be a part of the family you and your sisters are building with your chosen husband. I know you've had your differences in the past, but you can't let that cloud your judgment here. Moebius is _not_ an evil entity, and I'm sure you can sense no ill intentions from her, just as I can. So what's stopping you from letting her become a member of your family?"

The blonde princess shook her head and sighed sadly. "I'm, admittedly, letting the past affect my judgment here. I know that. But I already have to share him with my new friends. I was hoping that it would be just us…"

Naruto walked up to Towa and hugged her close to him, letting her cry into his chest, not at all minding that she was getting his shirt wet. "Towa-chan, it's okay. Everything will be alright. I won't accept if it bothers you that much, even if I _could_ use the help. I don't want you to be hurt because of this."

Towa hugged him back tightly and mumbled something into his chest. When he asked her what she was trying to say, the princess looked up into his eyes before capturing his lips in a tender, loving kiss. "I said...I just...I can't trust her. After everything she did to Toki and me...it's just too damn hard to have any faith in her. I'll admit that her keeping me from marrying Zack was for the best, but...Toki and I were torn apart because of her. I know you'd be able to advance in your magical studies quicker with her help...but…"

"I understand sweetheart. As much as I could use more guidance, you're far more important to me than mastering my magic. Moebius…" Naruto turned to face the time goddess and bowed to her. "I'm truly sorry, but it looks like you're going to have to find another man."

Frowning at this, Moebius looked at Towa and sighed. "Towa...I'm going to make you a deal. I'll teach you everything I know about time magic if you let me join this little family of yours. You have a great deal of potential, and it's going to waste right now because you lack a certain spark of creativity. I can help you become a true master of time magic if you'd let me. I can't promise that I won't screw with you a bit though for giggles."

Towa's eyes widened in shock. _She's offering to teach me? But...this has to be a trick. I…_ Sighing, the amber-eyed woman looked hard into Moebius' eyes and shook her head. "I...appreciate the offer, Moebius. But...I can't help but think this is a trick just so you can steal Naruto away from us or something. After everything you've done...it's hard to trust you, just like that. So...I have to refuse. At least...at the moment I refuse. Who knows what the future may hold?"

Moebius frowned for a moment before releasing a heavy sigh. "I see. Well, I'll let the offer stand. I can wait as long as I have to for you to share him with me. It's a bit much to take in right now, I imagine. But, this is important enough to me that I'm willing to wait until you're ready. Anyways…" turning to Anna, Moebius said, "Anna, give Naruto Something Borrowed so he and his groupies can get going. I want Naruto to get rid of the Kyuubi so he can focus completely on bettering himself rather than worry constantly about that dumb beast taking control away from him."

The elderly woman nodded slowly and stepped up to Naruto. Reaching out, she grabbed his wrist and then placed Something Borrowed in his hand. "Don't forget to visit Burrough one more time before you go after Something Blue. I don't know what Draquoise will ask of you, but I'm sure you'll succeed. Moebius, will you be going with them?"

The time goddess shook her head. "No. It's obvious I'm not welcome just yet. Good luck Naruto." she said before kissing him on the cheek. Afterwards, she winked at him and waved goodbye before she disappeared.

Naruto couldn't help it as he began to chuckle a bit. "Have to admit, I never thought a goddess would take an interest in me. I'm actually kind of flattered."

Rikku walked over and punched him in the arm. "Don't go getting a big head now, Naruto." she teased. "Anyways, we should get going to Draquoise's Garden and see about getting Something Blue. I'm looking forward to getting that beastie out of your gut!"

Nodding in agreement, Naruto bowed to Anna. "Thanks again Anna-san. I truly appreciate everything you've done for me. We'll be back soon, I'm sure. Until then, please make sure that Toki and little Towa stay well."

Toki smiled sweetly at him and said, "I'm more concerned about you right now, Naruto. Be safe, okay?"

Offering the beautiful redhead a smile, Naruto gave her a salute before he left her room, his teammates following after him. Once they were gone, Anna smirked at her granddaughter. "Seems you're warming up to him rather well, Toki."

The red-eyed girl nodded in agreement with that assessment. "Towa adores him already, and he seems like a really good person. I can't help but want to be closer to him. Just as friends though! I'm not ready for a relationship of _that_ kind yet!"

Chuckling softly, the elderly time mage nodded in understanding. "I understand. He's a good man that's been dealt a cruel hand in life. Still, rather than let his torment break him, he's risen above the pain and become a truly respectable young man. I have to admit I'm proud of who he's become."

"What exactly has he been through? You seem to know something about it…"

"I only know a little, but it's enough. If you want to know more about him, just ask him when he returns. You have plenty of time before he returns to his world." Anna suggested.

Pouting a bit at being denied the knowledge that her grandmother possessed, Toki eventually found herself nodding slowly. "Alright. I will then! I just hope he's willing to open up to me a little…"

 _ **Draquoise's Garden**_

Upon arriving at the fourth and final Garden, the party was pleasantly surprised to see that, like Burrough's Garden, this one was rather small and simple in structure. Therefore, despite having to battle the occasional monster, they reached Draquoise rather easily.

The group were expecting Draquoise to be like the other three great spirits, but when they laid eyes on him, those expectations were thrown out the window. Floating before them was a huge blue dragon whose size was at least as big as the Hokage Mountain, if not slightly bigger.

Looking up into Draquoise's eyes, they listened as he began to speak. "I know why you have come. You're seeking Something Blue, correct? For what purpose?"

Naruto took a step forward and began to explain. "Draquoise-san, I am Naruto Uzumaki. I've sought out the Something Four because of a being sealed inside of me at the time of my birth known as the Kyuubi. As it stands, its very being threatens my comrades and I because if I lose control, the Kyuubi will take over and...let's just say it isn't pretty. Its power also harms me in a rather severe way if I draw on too much of its power."

Before Draquoise could interrupt, Naruto took a breath in and continued. "There is also a group known as the Akatsuki that are seeking to extract the Kyuubi and its siblings from people like me. If the bijuu are extracted from us...we die. So...my goal is to erase at least the Kyuubi from existence to not only keep the Akatsuki from taking him...but also to give the Kyuubi peace in death that it never got in life."

Draquoise closed his eyes and nodded slowly as he hummed in thought. "Hmm, I see. I'm afraid that the Something Four cannot erase all of the bijuu from existence, especially considering you are an otherworlder. At best, you can erase every piece of the Kyuubi from existence, unable to ever be used again. And before you ask, no, we will _not_ permit you to take the Something Four from this world into your own. You will simply have to settle for giving the Kyuubi its peace and freedom in death."

Naruto nodded in understanding. While he felt for the other jinchuriki and their bijuu, he knew better than to push his luck. Then, something about the way Draquiose said that caught his attention. "Does this mean you'll lend me Something Blue?"

The mighty dragon shook his head. "No. You must first pass my test before I give unto you Something Blue. I refuse to simply give it away without first testing what kind of person you truly are, Naruto Uzumaki."

"Ah, understandable." Naruto said quietly. "What's the test?"

"I'm going to give you an easy task to complete. Though it may sound simple, it's likely something you're not used to doing. I want _you_ to bake me the most delicious cake I've ever tasted. If need be, you can learn how to do so from somebody else, as there is no time limit on this test of yours. However, _you_ must be the one to make the cake. Do this one, simple task for me, and Something Blue is yours. Get going."

Naruto's eyes widened in horror as he repeated the request over and over again in his mind. _The best cake he's ever tasted?! Couldn't he just fight me like iNew did?! I'll never get Something Blue knowing my pathetic cooking skills!_ Yes, Naruto was in a bit of a pickle.

* * *

 **A/N - Okay, as you can see, I tried to put a bit of a twist on each of their tests. Olden was a bit more serious this time, iNew tested Naruto's combat skills, Burrough's was a tad different, and Draquoise? Heh, his might be the hardest of the Something Four to obtain.**

 **Anyways, since I know it wasn't mentioned in the chapter and you might be wondering about it, yes, Naruto and the group went and talked to Burrough after they got Something Borrowed. I would have included that scene, but I didn't think it was important enough to mention that they went and told her they got it and then immediately leave again. So I skipped that bit and went on to the next Garden.**

 **Okay, with all of that said, I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. I don't know what I'll work on next, but I hope you're looking forward to whatever's coming up next! Peace!**


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